THE  MISTRESS 
of  BONAVENTURE 


HAROLD       BINDLOSS 


H 


OWLAND 


THE 
MISTRESS  OF  BONAVENTURE 


JOHN  A.  LEONARD, 

THE  MISTRESS  OF 
BONAVENTURE 


BY 

HAROLD   BINDLOSS 

Author  of  "  Alton  of  Somasco,' '  "  The  Dust  of  Conflict, 
"  The  Cattle-Baron's  Daughter,"  etc. 


ONLY  AUTHORIZED  EDITION 


NEW  YORK 
FREDERICK   A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE    SWEETWATER    FORD             ...  I 

II.    BONAVENTURE    RANCH  IO 

III.  A  MIDNIGHT  VISITOR     ....  22 

IV.  THE  TIGHTENING  OF  THE  NET       .         .  34 
V.  A  SURPRISE  PARTY          ....  45 

VI.  A  HOLOCAUST 58 

VII.  A  BITTER  AWAKENING            ...  68 

VIII.  How  REDMOND  CAME  HOME            .         .  78 

IX.  A  PRAIRIE  STUDY            ....  92 

X.  A  TEMPTATION 104 

XL  IN  PERIL  OF  THE  WATERS       .         .  113 

XII.  THE  SELLING  OF  GASPARD'S  TRAIL  .         .  124 

XIII.  AN  UNFORTUNATE  PROMISE    .         .         .  137 

XIV.  THE  BURNING  OF  GASPARD'S  TRAIL          .  147 
XV.  BEAUTY  IN  DISGUISE       .         .         .  159 

XVI.  THE  DEFENSE  OF  CRANE  VALLEY    .         .  170 

XVII.  THE  RAISING  OF  THE  SIEGE   .         .         .  183 

XVIII.  THE  VIGIL-KEEPER         .         .         .         .194 

XIX.  THE  WORK  OF  AN  ENEMY     .         ,         .  205 


M36530 


vi  CONTENTS 

XX.  LEADEN-FOOTED  JUSTICE        .         .,         .216 

XXI.  AGAINST  TIME     .....     226 

XXII.  BAD  TIDINGS        .....     238 

XXIII.  LIBERTY 248 

XXIV.  A  SECRET  TRIBUNAL    ....     261 
XXV.  A  CHANGE  OF  TACTICS         .         .         .     272 

XXVI.  THE  TURNING  OF  THE  TIDE          .         .     282 

XXVII.  ILLUMINATION     .....     293 

XXVIII.  THE  ENEMY  CAPITULATES    .         .         .     305 

XXIX.  THE  EXIT  OF  LANE     .         .         .         .315 

XXX.  THE  LAST  TOAST         .         .         .         .326 


The  Mistress  of  Bona venture 


CHAPTER    I 
THE   SWEETWATER   FORD 

AFTER  relaxing  its  iron  grip  a  little  so  that  we  hoped  for 
spring,  winter  had  once  more  closed  down  on  the  broad 
Canadian  prairie,  and  the  lonely  outpost  was  swept  by 
icy  draughts,  when,  one  bitter  night,  Sergeant  Mackay, 
laying  down  his  pipe,  thrust  fresh  billets  into  the  crac- 
kling stove.  It  already  glowed  with  a  dull  redness,  and  the 
light  that  beat  out  through  its  opened  front  glinted  upon 
the  carbines,  belts,  and  stirrups  hung  about  the  rough  log 
walls. 

'  'Tis  for  the  rebuking  of  evildoers  an'  the  keeping  of 
the  peace  we're  sent  here  to  patrol  the  wilderness,  an'  if 
we're  frozen  stiff  in  the  saddle  'tis  no  more  than  our 
duty,"  said  the  sergeant,  while  his  eyes  twinkled  whim- 
sically. "  But  a  man  with  lands  an'  cattle  shows  a  dis- 
tressful want  o'  judgment  by  sleeping  in  a  snow  bank 
when  he  might  be  sitting  snug  in  a  club  at  Montreal. 
'Tis  a  matter  o'  wonder  to  me  that  ye  are  whiles  so 
deficient  in  common  sense,  Rancher  Ormesby.  Still,  I'm 
no'  denying  ye  showed  a  little  when  ye  brought  that 
whisky.  'Tis  allowable  to  interpret  the  regulations  with 
discretion  in  bitter  weather — an'  here's  a  safe  ride  to 
ye!" 

A  brighter  beam  that  shot  out  called  up  the  speaker's 
rugged  face  and  gaunt  figure  from  the  shadows.  Al- 
though his  lean,  hard  fingers  closed  somewhat  affection- 
ately on  a  flask  instead  of  on  the  bridle  or  carbine  they 
were  used  to,  his  profession  was  stamped  on  him,  for 
Allan  Mackay  was  as  fine  a  sample  of  non-commissioned 


2       THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

cavalry  officer  as  ever  patrolled  the  desolate  marches  of 

Western  Canada — which  implies  a  good  deal  to  those 

who  know  the  Northwest  troopers.     He  was  also,  as  I 

knew,  a  man  acquainted  with  sorrow,  who  united  the 

shrewdness  of  Solomon  with  a  childish  simplicity  and 

hid  beneath  his  grim  exterior  a  vein  of  eccentric  chivalry 

1  which,  prj ;  occasion    led    him    into    trouble.     The  blaze 

-furthei?  totfcfoed'the  face  of  a  young  English  lad  sitting 

.  ;in  a.  -corner  of  .the  -room. 

•'  /  f<:Sbfne  voj:;us  were  sent  here  for  our  sins,  and  some 
came  for  our  health  when  the  temperature  of  our  birth- 
places grew  a  trifle  high,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  know  that 
anybody  except  Rancher  Ormesby  ever  rode  with  us  for 
pleasure.  Yet  I'm  open  to  admit  the  life  has  its  compen- 
sations ;  and  Sergeant  Mackay  has  given  me  many  as 
good  a  run  as  I  ever  had  with — that  is,  I  mean  any  man 
who  must  earn  his  bread  might  well  find  work  he  would 
take  less  kindly  to." 

The  lad's  momentary  embarrassment  was  not  lost  on 
his  officer,  who  chuckled  somewhat  dryly  as  he  glanced  at 
him.  "  I'm  asking  no  questions,  an'  ye  are  not  called 
on  to  testify  against  yourself,"  he  said.  "  Maybe  ye 
rode  fox-hunting  on  a  hundred-guinea  horse,  an'  maybe 
ye  did  not;  but  ye  showed  a  bit  knowledge  o'  a  beast, 
an'  that  was  enough  for  me.  Meantime  ye're  Trooper 
Cotton,  an'  I'll  see  ye  do  your  duty.  To  some,  the  old 
country — God  bless  her — is  a  hard  stepmother,  an'  ye're 
no'  the  first  she  has  turned  the  cold  shoulder  on  and  sent 
out  to  me." 

The  worthy  sergeant  was  apt  to  grow  tiresome  when 
he  launched  out  into  his  reminiscences,  and,  seeing  that 
Trooper  Cotton  did  not  appreciate  the  turn  the  conversa- 
tion was  taking,  I  broke  in :  "  But  you're  forgetting  the 
outlaw,  Mackay;  and  I'm  not  here  for  either  health  or 
pleasure.  I  want  to  recover  the  mare  I  gave  five  hun- 
dred dollars  for,  and  that  ought  to  excuse  my  company. 
What  has  the  fellow  who  borrowed  her  done?" 

"  Fired  on  a  mortgage  money-lender  down  in  Assini- 
boia,"  was  the  answer.  "  Maybe  he  was  badly  treated, 
for  ye'll  mind  that  the  man  who  takes  blood  money,  as 


THE    SWEETWATER    FORD  3 

yon  Lane  has  done,  is  first  cousin  to  Judas  Iscariot;  but 
that's  no'  my  business.  It  is  not  allowable  to  shoot  one's 
creditors  in  the  Canadian  Dominion.  What  I'm  wonder- 
ing is  where  he  is  now ;  an'  that  will  be  either  striking 
north  for  the  barrens  or  west  for  British  Columbia.  It 
will  be  boot  and  saddle  when  Pete  comes  in,  and  mean- 
time we'll  consider  what  routes  would  best  fit  him !  " 

Mackay  knew  every  bluff  and  ravine  seaming  a  hun- 
dred miles  of  prairie ;  and  another  silent  man,  rising  from 
his  bunk,  stood  beside  myself  and  Cotton  as  the  sergeant 
traced  lines  across  the  table.  Each  represented  an  alter- 
native route  the  fugitive  might  take,  and  the  places  where 
the  hard  forefinger  paused  marked  a  risky  ford  or  lake 
on  which  the  ice  was  yielding.  Mackay  spent  some  time 
over  it,  as  much  for  his  own  edification  as  for  ours,  but  I 
was  interested,  for  I  greatly  desired  to  recover  the  blood 
mare  stolen  from  me. 

I  was  then  five-and-twenty,  fairly  stalwart  and  tall  of 
stature,  and  seldom  regretted  that  after  a  good  education 
in  England  I  had  gone  out  to  Western  Canada  to  assist  a 
relative  in  raising  cattle.  The  old  man  was  slow  and 
cautious,  but  he  taught  me  my  business  well  before  he 
died  suddenly  and  left  me  his  possessions.  Adding  my 
small  patrimony,  I  made  larger  profits  by  taking  heavier 
risks,  and,  for  fortune  had  favored  me,  and  youth  is  no 
handicap  in  the  Colonies,  my  homestead  was  one  of  the 
finest  in  that  section  of  the  country.  Save  for  occasional 
risks  of  frost-bite  and  wild  rides  through  blinding  snow, 
the  life  had  been  toilsome  rather  than  eventful;  but  the 
day  which,  while  we  talked  in  the  outpost,  was  speeding 
westward  across  the  pines  of  Quebec  and  the  lakes  of 
Ontario  to  gild  the  Rockies'  peaks  was  to  mark  a  turning- 
point  in  my  history. 

Suddenly  a  beat  of  hoofs  rose  out  of  the  night,  there 
was  a  jingle  outside,  and  the  cold  set  me  shivering,  when 
a  man,  who  held  a  smoking  horse's  bridle,  stood  by  the 
open  door.  "  Your  man  tried  to  buy  a  horse  from  the 
reservation  Crees,  and,  when  they  wouldn't  trade,  doubled 
on  his  tracks,  heading  west  for  the  Bitter  Lakes.  I've 
nearly  killed  my  beast  to  bring  you  word,"  he  said. 


4       THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Horses  stood  ready  in  the  sod  stable  behind  the  dwell- 
ing, and  in  less  than  three  minutes  we  were  in  the  saddle 
and  flitting  in  single  file  across  the  prairie.  It  was  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and,  though  winter  should 
have  been  over,  it  was  very  bitter.  The  steam  from  the 
horses  hung  about  us,  our  breath  froze  on  our  furs,  but 
a  Chinook  wind  had  swept  the  prairie  clear  of  snow,  and, 
though  in  the  barer  places  the  ground  rang  like  iron 
beneath  us,  the  carpet  of  matted  grasses  made  moderately 
fast  traveling  possible.  No  word  was  spoken,  and,  when 
the  silent  figures  about  me  faded  as  they  spread  out  to 
left  and  right  and  only  a  faint  jingle  of  steel  or  dull  thud 
of  hoofs  betokened  their  presence,  I  seemed  to  have  ridden 
out  of  all  touch  with  warmth  and  life. 

The  frost  bit  keen,  the  heavens  were  black  with  the 
presage  of  coming  storm,  and  the  utter  silence  seemed  the 
hush  of  death.  Beast  and  bird  had  long  fled  south,  and 
I  started  when  once  the  ghostly  howl  of  a  coyote  rose 
eerily  and  faintly  from  the  rim  of  the  prairie. 

By  daylight  we  had  left  long  leagues  behind  us,  and  I 
was  the  better  pleased  that  the  fugitive's  trail,  of  which 
we  found  signs,  led  back  towards  my  own  homestead. 
For  a  brief  five  minutes  the  Rockies,  seen  very  far  off 
across  the  levels,  flushed  crimson  against  the  sky.  Then 
the  line  of  spectral  peaks  faded  suddenly,  and  we  were 
left,  four  tiny  crawling  specks,  in  the  center  of  a  limitless 
gray  circle  whose  circumference  receded  steadily  as  the 
hours  went  by.  But  the  trail  grew  plainer  to  the  ser- 
geant's practiced  eyes,  and,  when  we  had  crossed  the 
Bitter  Lakes  on  rotten  and  but  partially  refrozen  ice,  he 
predicted  that  we  should  come  up  with  the  fugitive  by 
nightfall  if  our  horses  held  out.  Mine  was  the  best  in 
the  party,  and,  though  not  equal  to  the  stolen  mare,  the 
latter  had  already  traveled  fast  and  far.  It  avas  a  de- 
pressing journey.  No  ray  of  sunlight  touched  the  wide- 
spread levels,  and  there  was  neither  smoke  trail  nor  sign 
of  human  life  in  all  that  great  desolation.  Hands  and 
feet  lost  sense  of  feeling,  the  cold  numbed  one's  very 
brain ;  but  the  wardens  of  the  prairie,  used  alike  to  sleep 
in  a  snow  trench  or  swim  an  icy  ford,  care  little  for 


THE    SWEETWATER    FORD  5 

adverse  weather,  and  Mackay  held  on  with  a  slow  tenac- 
ity that  boded  ill  for  the  man  he  was  pursuing. 

The  light  showed  signs  of  failing  when  Trooper  Cotton 
shouted,  and  we  caught  sight  of  our  quarry,  a  shadowy 
blur  on  the  crest  of  a  low  rise  that  seamed  the  prairie. 
"  Ye  may  save  your  breath,  for  ye'll  need  it,"  said  Mac- 
kay. "  It's  a  league  from  yon  rise  to  the  Sweetwater, 
an'  there's  neither  ice-bridge  nor  safe  ford  now.  If  he's 
across  before  we  are  we'll  no'  grip  him  the  night,  I'm 
thinking — and  there's  ill  weather  brewing." 

Whip  and  heel  were  plied,  and  the  worn-out  beasts 
responded  as  best  they  might.  The  man  who  had  taught 
me  stock  and  horse  breeding  knew  his  business,  and  when 
my  beast  raced  across  the  edge  of  the  rise  the  troopers 
were  at  least  two  hundred  yards  behind.  Then  the  exul- 
tation of  the  chase  took  hold  of  me,  and  my  frozen  blood 
commenced  to  stir  as  the  staunch  beast  beneath  me  swept 
faster  and  faster  down  the  long  gray  incline.  At  every 
stride  I  was  coming  up  with  the  horse  thief.  A  dusky 
ridge  of  birches  loomed  ahead,  shutting  off  the  steep 
dip  to  the  river.  Beyond  this,  there  were  thicker  trees; 
and  the  light  was  failing;  but  while  all  this  promised 
safety  for  the  pursued,  I  was  gaining  fast  and  the  troop- 
ers were  dropping  further  behind.  The  fugitive  had 
just  reached  the  timber  when  a  light  wagon  lurched  out 
from  it,  and  I  yelled  to  the  man  who  drove  it  to  hold 
clear  of  my  path.  There  was  a  hoarse  shout  away  to  the 
left,  and,  when  no  answer  came  back,  the  crack  of  a  car- 
bine. A  repeating  rifle  banged  against  my  back,  and, 
feeling  that  its  sling  lay  within  easy  reach,  I  drove  my 
heels  home  as  I  raced  past  the  wagon. 

There  was  scarcely  time  for  a  side  glance,  but  the  one 
I  risked  set  my  heart  beating.  Two  feminine  figures 
wrapped  in  furs  sat  within  it,  and  one  smiled  at  me  as 
I  passed.  The  face  that  looked  out  from  beneath  the 
fur  cap  was  worth  remembering,  though  it  was  several 
years  since  I  had  last  seen  it  in  England.  Haldane  had 
brought  his  daughters  with  him  when  he  came  out  from 
Montreal  to  visit  his  Western  possessions,  it  seemed ; 
but  my  horse  was  over  the  brink  of  the  declivity  before  I 


6       THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

could  return  the  greeting,  and,  bending  low  to  clear  the 
branches,  I  drove  him  reeling  and  blundering  down  and 
down  through  willow  undergrowth  and  scattered  birches 
on  the  track  of  the  fugitive.  I  was  but  a  plain  rancher, 
and  it  seemed  presumptuous  folly  to  neglect  my  lawful 
business  for  a  smile  from  Beatrice  H'aldane. 

It  was  growing  dark  among  the  birches,  and  flakes  of 
feathery  snow  sliding  down  between  the  branches  filled 
my  eyes,  but  I  could  see  that  the  distance  between  us 
was  shortening  more  rapidly  and  that  the  man  in  front 
of  me  reeled  in  his  saddle  when  a  branch  smote  him.  The 
mare  also  stumbled,  and  I  gained  several  lengths.  The 
drumming  of  hoofs  and  the  moan  of  an  icy  wind  which 
had  sprung  up  seemed  to  fill  all  the  hollow.  White  mist 
that  slid  athwart  the  birches  hung  over  the  Sweetwater  in 
the  rift  beneath,  and — for  the  river  had  lately  burst  its 
chains  of  ice — I  felt  sure  that  the  man  I  followed  would 
never  make  the  crossing.  Yet  it  appeared  certain  that 
he  meant  to  attempt  it,  for  he  rode  straight  at  the  screen 
of  willows  that  fringed  the  water's  edge,  vanished  among 
them,  and  I  heard  a  crackling  as  his  weary  beast  smashed 
through  the  shoreward  fringe  of  honeycombed  ice.  Then 
I  saw  nothing,  for  rattling  branches  closed  about  me  as 
the  horse  feebly  launched  himself  at  the  leap,  while  a 
denser  whiteness  thickened  the  mist.  So  far  fortune  had 
favored  me  throughout  the  reckless  ride;  but  it  is  not 
wise  to  tempt  fate  too  hardly,  and  the  beast  pitched  for- 
ward when  his  hoofs  descended  upon  bare  frozen  ground. 

Had  I  worn  boots  my  neck  might  have  paid  the  pen- 
alty, but  the  soft  moccasins  slipped  free  of  the  stirrups 
in  time,  and  when  I  came  down  the  horse  rolled  over  sev- 
eral yards  clear  of  me.  He  was  up  next  moment,  but 
moved  stiffly,  and  stood  still,  trembling,  when  I  grasped 
the  bridle.  The  saddle  had  slipped  sideways,  as  though 
a  girth  buckle  had  yielded,  and  I  felt  faint  and  dizzy,  for 
the  fall  had  shaken  me.  Nevertheless,  I  unslung  the  rifle 
mechanically,  when  a  hail  reached  me,  and,  turning,  I  saw 
the  man  we  had  followed  sitting  still  in  his  saddle,  some 
twoscore  yards  away,  with  the  steam  frothing  white  to 
his  horse's  knees.  The  daylight  had  almost  gone,  the 


THE    SWEETWATER    FORD  7 

snow  was  commencing  in  earnest,  but  I  could  make  out 
that  he  was  bareheaded  and  his  face  smeared  with  crim- 
son, perhaps  from  a  wound  the  branch  had  made.  It 
looked  drawn  and  ghastly  as  he  sat  stiffly  erect  against 
a  background  of  hurrying  water  and  falling  snow,  with 
one  hand  on  his  hip  and  the  other  raised  as  though  to 
command  attention. 

"  You  are  Rancher  Ormesby,  whose  horse  I  borrowed, 
I  presume?"  he  said.  "  Well,  if  you  are  wise  you  will 
give  up  the  chase  before  worse  befalls  you.  I  am  armed, 
and  I  give  you  fair  warning  that  I  do  not  mean  to  be 
taken.  Go  home  to  your  stove  and  comforts.  You  have 
no  quarrel  with  me." 

The  clean  English  accent  surprised  me,  and  the  rifle 
lay  still  in  the  hollow  of  my  left  arm  as  I  answered  him : 
"  Do  you  forget  you  are  sitting  on  the  best  mare  I  pos- 
sess? The  loss  of  several  hundred  dollars  is  more  than 
I  can  put  up  with;  and  your  warning  sounds  rather 
empty  when  I  could  hardly  fail  to  pick  you  off  with 
this  rifle." 

I  listened  for  the  troopers'  coming,  but  could  hear  only 
the  fret  of  the  river  and  the  moaning  of  the  blast,  for 
the  wind  was  rising  rapidly.  It  was  evident  that  the 
beast  whose  bridle  I  held  was  in  no  fit  state  to  attempt 
the  crossing,  and  yet,  though  the  stranger's  cool  assur- 
ance was  exasperating,  I  began  to  be  conscious  of  a  cer- 
tain admiration  and  pity  for  him.  The  man  was  fearless. 
He  had  been  hunted  like  a  wolf ;  and  now,  left,  worn  out, 
wounded,  and  doubtless  faint  from  want  of  food,  to  face 
the  wild  night  in  the  open,  he  had,  it  seemed,  risked  his 
last  chance  of  escape  to  warn  me  when  he  might  have 
taken  me  at  a  disadvantage. 

He  laughed  recklessly.  "  Still,  I  hardly  think  you  will. 
The  mare  is  done,  and  I  pledge  my  word  I'll  turn  her 
loose  as  soon  as  I'm  clear  of  the  troopers.  I  have  no 
grudge  against  you,  but  if  you  are  wise  you  will  take 
no  further  chances  with  a  desperate  man.  Go  home,  and 
be  thankful  you  ha>ve  a  place  to  shelter  you." 

There  would  have  been  no  great  difficulty  in  bringing 
the  man  down  at  that  range,  even  in  a  bad  light,  and  it  is 


8       THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

probable  that  nobody  would  have  blamed  me ;  but,  though 
I  should  willingly  have  ridden  him  down  in  fair  chase, 
I  could  not  fire  on  him  as  he  sat  there  at  my  mercy,  for 
if  he  was  armed  it  must  have  been  with  a  pistol — a  very 
poor  weapon  against  a  rifle.  I  might  also  have  shot  the 
horse;  but  one  hesitates  to  sacrifice  a  costly  beast,  even 
in  the  service  of  the  State,  and,  strange  to  say,  I  felt  in- 
clined to  trust  his  promise.  Accordingly,  I  did  neither; 
and  when  a  great  ice  cake  came  driving  down,  and,  rais- 
ing his  hand  again  as  though  in  recognition  of  my  for- 
bearance, he  wheeled  the  mare  and  vanished  into  a  thicker 
rush  of  snow,  I  stood  motionless  and  let  him  go.  Then, 
feeling  more  shaken  and  dizzy  than  before,  I  seized  the 
bridle  and  led  the  horse  into  the  whirling  whiteness  that 
drove  down  the  slope.  Darkness  came  suddenly.  I  could 
scarcely  see  the  trees,  and  it  was  by  accident  I  stumbled 
upon  the  troopers  dismounted  and  picking  their  way. 

"Have  ye  seen  him?"  asked  an  object  which  looked 
like  a  polar  bear  and  proved  to  be  the  sergeant. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered  shortly,  deciding  that  it  would 
not  be  well  to  fully  explain  how  I  had  let  our  quarry  slip 
through  my  fingers.  "  If  he  has  not  drowned  himself  in 
the  river  he  has  got  away.  I  was  close  upon  him  when 
my  horse  fell  and  threw  me  badly.  Are  you  going  to  try 
the  crossing,  too  ?  " 

There  are  few  bolder  riders  than -the  Northwest  troop- 
ers, but  Mackay  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  thinking  it  would 
be  a  useless  waste  of  Government  property  an'  maybe  of 
a  trooper's  life,"  he  said.  "  No  man  could  find  him  in 
this  snow,  and  if  he  lives  through  the  night,  which  is 
doubtful,  we'll  find  his  trail  plain  in  the  morning.  We'll 
just  seek  shelter  with  Haldane  at  Bonaventure." 

I  do  not  know  how  we  managed  to  find  the  Bonaven- 
ture ranch.  The  wind  had  suddenly  freshened  almost  to 
a  gale,  and,  once  clear  of  the  river  hollow,  we  met  the 
full  force  of  it.  The  snow  that  whirled  across  the 
desolate  waste  filled  our  eyes  and  nostrils,  rendering 
breathing  difficult  and  sight  almost # impossible;  but  it 
may  be  that  the  instinct  of  the  horses  helped  us,  for, 
making  no  effort  at  guidance,  I  trudged  on,  clinging  to 


THE    SWEETWATER    FORD  9 

the  bridle  of  my  limping  beast,  while  half-seen  spectral 
objects  floundered  through  the  white  haze  on  each  side. 
Nevertheless,  the  pain  which  followed  the  impact  of  the 
flakes  on  one  side  of  my  half-frozen  face  showed  that 
we  were  at  least  progressing  in  a  constant  direction,  and 
at  last  Trooper  Cotton  raised  a  hoarse  halloo  as  a  faint 
ray  of  light  pierced  the  obscurity.  Then  shadowy  build- 
ings loomed  ahead,  and,  blundering  up  against  a  wire 
fence,  we  staggered,  whitened  all  over,  to  the  door  of 
Bonaventure. 

It  was  flung  wide  open  at  our  knock,  banged  to  again, 
and  while  a  trooper  went  off  with  the  horses  to  the 
stable  the  rest  of  us,  partly  stupefied  by  the  change  of 
temperature,  stood  in  the  lamp-lit  hall  shaking  the  white 
flakes  from  us.  A  man  of  middle  age,  attired  in  a 
fashion  more  common  in  the  cities  than  in  the  West, 
stretched  out  his  hand  to  me. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Ormesby ;  and,  of  course,  you 
and  your  companions  will  spend  the  night  here,"  he 
said  cordially.  "  My  girls  told  me  they  had  met  you, 
and  we  were  partly  expecting  your  company.  Appar- 
ently the  malefactor  got  away,  Sergeant  Mackay  ?  " 

"  We  did  not  bring  him  with  us,  but  he'll  not  win  far 
this  weather,"  was  the  somewhat  rueful  answer.  The 
master  of  Bonaventure  smiled  a  little. 

"  He  deserves  to  escape  if  he  can  live  through  such  a 
night;  and  I'm  inclined  to  be  sorry  for  the  poor  devil," 
he  said.  "  However,  you  have  barely  time  to  get  into 
dry  things  before  supper  will  be  ready.  We  expect  you 
all  to  join  us,  prairie  fashion." 

The  welcome  was  characteristic  of  Carson  Haldane, 
who  could  win  the  goodwill  of  most  men,  either  on  the 
prairie  or  in  the  exclusive  circles  of  Ottawa  and  Mon- 
treal. It  was  also  characteristic  that  he  called  the  even- 
ing meal,  as  we  did,  supper ;  though  when  he  was  present 
a  state  of  luxury,  wholly  unusual  on  the  prairie,  reigned 
at  Bonaventure. 


CHAPTER    II 
BONAVENTURE   RANCH 

"  WE  are  waiting  for  you,"  said  Haldane,  smiling,  as 
he  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  room  where,  with  some 
misgivings,  and  by  the  aid  of  borrowed  sundries,  we  had 
made  the  best  toilets  we  could.  "  You  are  not  a  stranger, 
Ormesby,  and  must  help  to  see  your  comrades  made 
comfortable.  Sergeant,  my  younger  daughter  is  enthu- 
siastic about  the  prairie,  and  you  will  have  a  busy  time 
if  you  answer  all  her  questions,  though  I  fear  she  will 
be  disappointed  to  discover  that  nobody  has  ever  scalped 
you." 

Mackay  drew  himself  up  stiffly,  as  if  for  his  inspection 
parade,  and  a  white  streak  on  his  forehead  showed  the 
graze  a  bullet  had  made.  Young  Cotton  smiled  wryly 
as  he  glanced  at  his  uniform,  for  it  was  probably  under 
very  different  auspices  he  had  last  appeared  in  the  so- 
ciety of  ladies;  and  I  was  uneasily  conscious  of  the  fact 
that  the  black  leather  tunic  which  a  German  teamster 
had  given  me  was  much  more  comfortable  than  becom- 
ing. I  might  have  felt  even  more  dissatisfied  had  I 
known  that  my  fall  had  badly  split  the  tunic  up  the  back. 
That,  however,  did  not  account  for  the  curious  mingling 
of  hesitation  and  expectancy  with  which  I  followed  our 
host. 

During  a  brief  visit  to  England  some  years  ago  I  had 
met  Miss  Haldane  at  the  house  of  a  relative,  and  the 
memory  had  haunted  me  during  long  winter  evenings 
spent  in  dreamy  meditation  beside  the  twinkling  stove 
and  in  many  a  lonely  camp  when  the  stars  shone  down 
on  the  waste  of  whitened  grass  through  the  blue  trans- 
parency of  the  summer  night.  The  interval  had  been  a 
time  of  strenuous  effort  with  me,  but  through  all  the 
stress  and  struggle,  in  stinging  snowdrift  and  blinding 

10 


BONAVENTURE    RANCH  11 

dust  of  alkali,  I  had  never  lost  the  remembrance  of  the 
maiden  who  whiled  away  the  sunny  afternoons  with  me 
under  the  English  elms.  Indeed,  the  recollection  of  the 
serene,  delicately  cut  face  and  the  wealth  of  dusky  hair 
grew  sharper  as  the  months  went  by,  until  it  became  an 
abstract  type  of  all  that  was  desirable  in  womanhood, 
rather  than  a  prosaic  reality.  Now  I  was  to  meet  its 
owner  once  more  in  the  concrete  flesh.  It  may  have  been 
merely  a  young  man's  fancy,  born  of  a  life  bare  of  ro- 
mance, but  I  think  that  idealization  was  good  for  me. 

Haldane  held  a  door  open,  saying  something  that  I  did 
not  catch ;  but  young  Cotton,  whose  bronzed  color  deep- 
ened for  a  moment,  made  a  courtly  bow,  and  the  big 
grizzled  sergeant  smiled  at  me  across  the  table  as  he  took 
his  place  beside  a  laughing  girl,  while  I  presently  found 
myself  drawing  a  chair  back  for  Beatrice  Haldane,  who 
showed  genuine  pleasure  as  she  greeted  me.  Her  beauty 
had  increased  during  the  long  interval.  The  clustering 
dark  hair  and  the  dark  eyes  were  those  I  remembered 
well,  and  if  her  face  was  a  trifle  colorless  and  cold  I  did 
not  notice  it.  She  had  grown  a  little  more  full  in  outline 
and  more  stately  in  bearing,  but  the  quiet  graciousness 
which  had  so  impressed  me  sail  remained. 

"  It  is  a  long  time  since  we  met,  and  you  have  changed 
since  then,"  she  said  pleasantly.  "  When  you  raced  past 
our  wagon  I  hardly  recognized  you.  That,  however,  was 
perhaps  only  to  be  expected;  but  one  might  wonder 
whether  you  have  changed  otherwise,  too.  I  recollect 
you  were  refreshingly  sanguine  when  I  last  saw  you." 

This  was  gratifying.  That  I  should  have  treasured  the 
remembrance  of  Beatrice  Haldane  was  only  natural;  but 
it  was  very  pleasant  to  hear  from  her  own  lips  that  she 
had  not  forgotten  me.  Her  intention  was  doubtless 
kindly,  and  it  was  inherited  courtesy,  for  Haldane  did 
most  things  graciously. 

"  The  light  was  dim,  and  this  life  sets  its  stamp  on 
most  of  us,"  I  said.  "  May  one  compliment  you  on 
your  powers  of  memory?  Needless  to  say,  I  recognized 
you  the  moment  I  saw  you." 

Miss  Haldane  smiled  a  little.     "  A  good  memory  is 


12     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

useful;    but    do   you    wish    me    to    return    the    compli- 
ment?" 

"  No,"  and  I  looked  at  her  steadily.  "  But  there  is  a 
difference.  In  your  world  men  and  events  follow  each 
other  in  kaleidoscopic  succession,  and  each  change  of  the 
combinations  must  dim  the  memory  of  the  rest.  With  us 
it  is  different.  You  will  see  how  we  live — but,  no;  I 
hardly  think  you  will — for  Bonaventure  is  not  a  typical 
homestead,  and  the  control  of  it  can  be  only  a  pastime 
with  your  father." 

"And  yet  it  is  said  that  whatever  Carson  Haldane 
touches  yields  him  dividends;  but  proceed,"  interposed 
Miss  Haldane. 

"  With  us  each  day  is  spent  in  hurried  labor ;  and  it  is 
probably  well  that  it  is,  for  otherwise  the  loneliness  and 
monotony  might  overpower  any  man  with  leisure  to 
brood  and  think.  Heat,  frost,  and  fatigue  are  our  lot; 
and  an  interlude  resembling  the  one  in  which  I  met  you 
means,  as  a  glimpse  of  a  wholly  different  life,  so  much 
to  us.  We  dream  of  it  long  afterwards,  and  wonder  if 
ever  the  enchanted  gates  will  open  to  us  again.  Now, 
please  don't  smile.  This  is  really  not  exaggeration ! " 

"  Which  gates  ?  You  are  not  precise,"  said  my  com- 
panion, and  laughed  pleasantly  when,  smiling,  too,  I  an- 
swered, "  One  might  almost  say — of  Paradise !  " 

"  It  must  be  the  Moslem's  paradise,  then,"  she  said. 
"  Still,  I  hardly  fancy  a  stalwart  prairie  rancher  would 
pose  well  as  the  Peri,  and,  by  way  of  consolation,  you 
can  remember  that  there  are  disappointments  within  those 
gates,  and  those  who  have  acquired  knowledge  beyond 
,  them  sometimes  envy  the  illusions  of  those  without.  No, 
you  have  not  changed  much  in  some  respects,  Mr. 
Ormesby.  You  must  talk  to  my  sister  Lucille — she  will 
agree  with  you." 

Her  manner  was  very  gracious,  in  spite  of  the  badi- 
nage; but  there  was  a  faint  trace  of  weariness  and  sar- 
donic humor  in  her  merriment  which  chilled  me.  The 
dark-haired  girl  I  remembered  had  displayed  a  power  of 
sympathy  and  quick  enthusiasm  which  had  apparently 
vanished  from  my  present  companion. 


BONAVENTURE    RANCH  13 

"  I  am  curious  to  hear  if  you  have  verified  the  opti- 
mistic views  you  once  professed,"  she  added  languidly. 

I  laughed  a  little  dryly.  Being  younger  then,  and  led 
on  by  a  very  winsome  maiden's  interest,  I  had  talked  with 
perhaps  a  little  less  than  becoming  modesty  of  the  pos- 
sibilities open  to  a  resolute  man  in  the  new  lands  of  the 
West,  and  laid  it  down  as  an  axiom  that  determination 
was  a  sure  password  to  success. 

"  You  should  be  merciful.  That  was  in  my  callow 
days,"  I  said.  "  Nevertheless,  with  a  few  more  reserva- 
tions, I  believe  it  is  possible  for  those  who  can  hope 
and  hold  on  to  realize  their  ambition  in  this  country, 
whether  it  be  the  evolution  of  a  prosperous  homestead 
from  a  strip  of  Government  land  and  a  sod  hovel — or 
more  desirable  things.  The  belief  is  excusable,  because 
one  may  see  the  proof  of  it  almost  every  day.  I  even 
fancied,  when  in  England,  that  you  agreed  with  me." 

There  was  a  faint  mischievous  sparkle  in  Miss  Hal- 
dane's  eyes,  but  she  answered  with  becoming  gravity: 
"  Wisdom,  as  you  seem  to  intimate,  comes  with  age,  and 
it  is  allowable  to  change  one's  opinions.  Now  it  seems 
to  me  that  all  things  happen,  more  often  against  our 
will  than  as  the  result  of  it,  when  the  invisible  powers 
behind  us  decree.  For  instance,  who  could  have  antici- 
pated yesterday  that  we  two  should  meet  to-night  at  table, 
or  who  could  say  whether  this  assembly,  brought  about 
by  a  blizzard,  may  not  be  the  first  scene  of  either  a 
tragedy  or  a  comedy  ?  " 

I  was  more  at  home  when  Haldane  turned  the  conver- 
sation upon  practical  matters,  such  as  wheat  and  cattle, 
than  when  discussing  abstract  possibilities ;  but  I  after- 
wards remembered  that  my  fair  companion's  speech  was 
prophetic,  and,  as  I  glanced  about,  it  struck  me  that 
there  were  dramatic  possibilities  in  the  situation.  We 
were  a  strangely  assorted  company,  and  to  one  who  had 
spent  eight  years  in  the  wilderness  the  surroundings  were 
striking.  Tall  wax  candles  in  silver  standards,  flickering 
a  little  when  the  impact  of  the  snow-laden  gale  shook  the 
lonely  dwelling,  lighted  the  table.  The  rest  of  the  long 
room  was  wrapped  in  shadow,  save  when  the  blaze  from 


14     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

the  great  open  hearth  flung  forth  its  uncertain  radiance. 
The  light  flashed  upon  cut  glass  and  polished  silver,  and 
forced  up  against  the  dusky  background  the  faces  of 
those  who  sat  together. 

Carson  Haldane,  owner  of  Bonaventure,  which  he 
occasionally  visited,  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  a  clean- 
shaven, dark-haired  man  of  little  more  than  middle  age, 
whose  slightly  ascetic  appearance  concealed  a  very  genial 
disposition.  He  was  a  man  of  mark,  a  daring  specula- 
tor in  mills  and  lands  and  mines,  and  supposed  to  be 
singularly  successful.  Why  he  bought  Bonaventure 
ranch,  or  what  he  meant  to  do  with  it,  nobody  seemed 
to  know;  but  he  acted  in  accordance  with  the  customs 
of  the  place  in  which  he  found  himself,  and  because  the 
distinctions  of  caste  and  wealth  are  not  greatly  recog- 
nized on  the  prairie  there  was  nothing  incongruous  in 
his  present  company.  Sergeant  Mackay — lean,  bronzed, 
and  saturnine  when  the  humor  seized  him — now  bent 
his  grizzled  head  with  keen  gray  eyes  that  twinkled  as 
he  chatted  to  the  fresh-faced  girl  in  the  simple  dress 
beside  him.  I  knew  this  was  Lucille  Haldane,  but  had 
hardly  glanced  at  her.  Cotton  had  evidently  forgotten 
that  he  was  a  police  trooper,  and,  when  he  could,  broke 
in  with  some  boyish  jest  or  English  story  told  in  a  differ- 
ent idiom  from  that  which  he  generally  adopted.  He 
seemed  unconscious  that  he  was  .recklessly  betraying 
himself. 

"  You  must  not  turn  my  daughter's  head  with  your 
reminiscences,  Sergeant.  She  is  inclined  to  be  over- 
romantic  already,"  Haldane  said,  with  a  kindly  glance  at 
the  girl.  "  Possibly,  however,  one  may  excuse  her  to- 
night, for  you  gentlemen  live  the  stories  she  delights  in. 
By  the  way,  I  do  not  quite  understand  how  you  allowed 
the  evildoer  to  escape,  Ormesby." 

Being  forced  to  an  explanation,  I  described  the  scene 
by  the  river  as  best  I  could,  looking  at  the  sergeant  a 
trifle  defiantly  until,  at  the  conclusion,  he  said:  "  I  can- 
not compliment  ye,  Rancher  Ormesby." 

I  was  about  to  retort,  when  a  clear  young  voice,  with 
a  trace  of  mischief  in  its  tone,  asked :  "  What  would  you 


BONAVENTURE    RANCH  15 

have  done  had  you  been  there,  and  why  were  you  so  far 
behind,  Sergeant  ?  " 

"  We  do  not  ride  pedigree  horses,"  said  Mackay,  a 
trifle  grimly.  "  I  should  have  shot  his  beast,  an'  so  made 
sure  of  him  in  the  first  place." 

Then  there  was  a  sudden  silence,  when  the  girl,  who 
turned  upon  him  with  a  gesture  of  indignation,  said: 
"  It  would  have  been  cruel,  and  I  am  glad  he  got  away. 
I  saw  his  face  when  he  passed  us,  and  it  was  so  drawn 
and  haggard  that  I  can  hardly  forget  it;  but  it  was  not 
that  of  a  bad  man.  What  crime  had  he  committed  that 
he  should  be  hunted  so  pitilessly  ?  " 

Young  Cotton  colored  almost  guiltily  under  his  tan  as 
the  girl's  indignant  gaze  fell  upon  him,  and  for  the  first 
time  I  glanced  at  her  with  interest.  She  was  by  no 
means  to  be  compared  with  her  sister,  but  she  had  a 
brave  young  face,  slightly  flushed  with  carmine  and  re- 
lieved by  bright  eyes  that  now  shone  with  pity.  In  con- 
trast to  Beatrice's  dark  tresses  the  light  of  the  candles 
called  up  bronze-gold  gleams  in  her  hair,  and  her  eyes 
were  hazel,  while  the  voice  had  a  vibration  in  it  that 
seemed  to  awaken  an  answering  thrill.  Lucille  Haldane 
reminded  me  of  what  her  sister  had  been,  but  there  was 
a  difference.  Slighter  in  physique,  she  was  characterized 
by  a  suggestion  of  nervous  energy  instead  of  Beatrice's 
queenly  serenity.  The  latter  moved  her  shoulders  almost 
imperceptibly,  but  I  fancied  the  movement  expressed  sub- 
dued impatience,  and  her  face  a  slightly  contemptuous 
apology,  while  her  father  laughed  a  little. 

"  You  must  be  careful,  Sergeant.  My  younger  daugh- 
ter is  mistress  of  Bonaventure,  and  rules  us  all  somewhat 
autocratically;  but,  as  far  as  I  can  gather,  your  percep- 
tions were  tolerably  correct  in  this  instance,  Lucille,"  he 
said.  "  The  man  fell  into  the  grip  of  the  usurer,  who,  as 
usual,  drained  his  blood;  but,  while  what  he  did  may 
have  been  ethical  justice,  he  broke  the  laws  of  this  coun- 
try, and  perhaps  hardly  deserves  your  sympathy." 

"  No  ?  "  said  Lucille  Haldane,  and  her  eyes  glistened. 
"  I  wish  you  had  not  told  us  what  took  place  at  the  river, 
Mr.  Ormesby.  Here  we  sit,  warm  and  sheltered,  while 


16     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

that  man,  who  has,  perhaps,  suffered  so  much  already, 
wanders,  hungry,  faint,  and  bleeding,  through  this  awful 
cold  and  snow.  Just  listen  a  moment !  " 

In  the  brief  silence  that  followed  I  could  hear  the 
windows  rattle  under  the  impact  of  the  driving  snow  and 
the  eerie  scream  of  the  blast.  I  shivered  a  little,  having 
more  than  once  barely  escaped  with  my  life  when  caught 
far  from  shelter  under  such  conditions,  and  it  was  borne 
in  upon  me  that  the  outlaw  might  well  be  summoned 
before  a  higher  tribunal  than  an  earthly  court  by  morn- 
ing. 

It  was  Beatrice  Haldane,  who,  with,  I  noticed,  a  warn- 
ing glance  at  her  sister,  turned  the  conversation  into  a 
more  cheerful  channel,  and  I  was  well  content  when  some 
time  later  she  took  her  place  near  me  beside  the  hearth, 
while  Lucille  opened  the  piano  at  her  father's  request. 
Possibly  neither  her  voice  nor  her  execution  might  have 
pleased  a  critic ;  but  as  a  break  in  our  monotonous  daily 
drudgery  the  music  enchanted  us,  and  the  grizzled  ser- 
geant straightened  himself  very  erect,  while  a  steely  glint 
came  into  his  eyes  as,  perhaps  to  atone  for  her  speech 
at  dinner,  the  girl  sang,  with  fire  and  pathos,  a  Jacobite 
ballad  of  his  own  country.  Its  effect  may  have  been 
enhanced  by  the  novelty;  but  there  was  a  power  in  Lu- 
cille Haldane  which  is  held  only  by  the  innocent  in  spirit 
whose  generous  enthusiasms  are  still  unblunted,  and  it 
seemed  to  me  that  the  words  and  chords  rang  alternately 
with  a  deathless  devotion  and  the  clank  of  the  clansmen's 
steel. 

"  I  cannot  thank  ye.  It  was  just  grand,"  said  Mackay, 
shaken  into  unusual  eloquence,  when  the  girl  turned  and 
half-shyly  asked  if  he  liked  the  song,  though,  as  the 
soft  candle  light  touched  it,  her  face  was  slightly  flushed. 
"  Ye  made  one  see  them — the  poor  lads  with  the  clay- 
mores, who  came  out  of  the  mist  with  a  faith  that  was  not 
bought  with  silver  to  die  for  their  king.  Loyal?  Oh, 
ay !  starving,  ill-led,  unpaid,  they  were  loyal  to  the  death ! 
There's  a  pattern  for  ye,  Trooper  Cotton,  who,  if  ye'll 
mind  what  he  tells  ye,  will  hold  Her  Majesty's  com- 
mission some  day  when  Sergeant  Mackay's  gone.  Ye'll 


BONAVENTURE    RANCH  17 

excuse  me,  Miss  Haldane,  but  the  music  made  me 
speak." 

I  noticed  that  Trooper  Cotton  seemed  to  flinch  a  mo- 
ment at  the  mention  of  a  commission,  as  though  it  re- 
called unpleasant  memories,  and  that  the  worthy  sergeant 
appeared  slightly  ashamed  of  his  outbreak,  while  Beatrice 
Haldane  showed  a  quiet  amusement  at  his  Caledonian 
weakness  for  improving  the  occasion.  Lucille,  however, 
smiled  at  him  again.  "  I  think  that  is  the  prettiest  com- 
pliment I  have  ever  had  paid  my  poor  singing,"  she  said 
naively.  "  But  I  have  done  my  duty.  J  wonder  if  you 
would  sing  if  we  asked  you,  Mr.  Cotton?" 

"  Lucille  is  at  an  impressionable  age,"  Beatrice  Hal- 
dane said  to  me.  "  Later  she  may  find  much  that  she 
now  delights  in  obsolete  and  old-fashioned.  We  have 
grown  very  materialistic  in  these  modern  days." 

"  God  forbid !  "  I  answered.  "  And  I  think  the  ser- 
geant could  tell  you  true  stories  of  modern  loyalty." 

"For  instance?"  and  I  answered  doggedly.  "You 
can  find  instances  for  yourself  if  you  try  to  see  beneath 
the  surface.  There  are  some  very  plain  men  on  this 
prairie  who  could  furnish  them,  I  think.  Did  you  ever 
hear  of  Rancher  Dane,  who  stripped  himself  of  all  his 
possessions  to  advance  the  career  of  a  now  popular 
singer?  She  married  another  man  when  fame  came  to 
her,  and  it  is  said  he  knew  she  would  never  be  more 
than  a  friend  to  him  from  the  beginning." 

"  I  have,"  and  the  speaker's  eyes  rested  on  me  with  a 
faint  and  yet  kindly  twinkle  in  them.  "  He  was  a  very 
foolish  person,  although  it  is  refreshing  to  hear  of  such 
men.  Even  if  disappointment  follow  consummation,  as- 
piration is  good  for  one.  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive,  you  know." 

Here,  to  the  astonishment  of  his  superior  officer,  Cot- 
ton, who  played  his  own  accompaniment,  broke  into  song, 
and  he  not  only  sang  passably  well,  but  made  a  special 
effort  to  do  his  best,  I  think ;  while  I  remember  reflecting, 
as  I  glanced  at  the  lad  in  uniform  and  the  rich  man's 
daughter,  who  sat  close  by,  watching  him,  how  strange 
all  this  would  have  seemed  to  anyone  unused  to  the  cus- 


18     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

toms  of  the  prairie.  Ours,  however,  is  a  new  land,  wide 
enough  to  take  in  not  only  the  upright  and  the  strong  of 
hand,  but  the  broken  in  spirit  and  the  outcast  whom  the 
older  country  thrusts  outside  her  gates ;  and,  much  more 
often  than  one  might  expect,  convert  them  into  sturdy 
citizens.  The  past  history  of  any  man  is  no  concern  of 
ours.  He  begins  afresh  on  his  merits,  and  by  right  of 
bold  enterprise  or  industry  meets  as  an  equal  whatever 
substitute  for  the  older  world's  dignitaries  may  be  found 
among  us.  How  it  is  one  cannot  tell,  but  the  brand  of 
serviture,  with  the  coarseness  or  cringing  it  engenders, 
fades  from  sight  on  the  broad  prairie. 

Beatrice  Haldane  presently  bade  me  go  talk  to  her 
sister,  and  though  I  did  so  somewhat  reluctantly,  the 
girl  interested  me.  I  do  not  remember  all  we  said,  and 
probably  it  would  not  justify  the  effort  to  recall  it;  but 
she  was  pleasantly  vivacious  of  speech,  and  genuinely 
interested  in  the  answers  to  her  numerous  questions.  At 
length,  however,  she  asked,  with  a  half-nervous  laugh: 
"  Did  you  ever  feel,  Mr.  Ormesby,  that  somebody  you 
could  not  see  was  watching  you  ? " 

"  No,"  I  answered  lightly.  "  In  my  case  it  would  not 
be  worth  while  for  anybody  to  do  so,  you  see."  And 
Lucille  Haldane  first  blushed  prettily  and  then  shivered, 
for  no  apparent  reason. 

"  It  must  be  a  fancy,  but  I — felt — that  somebody  was 
crouching  outside  there  in  the  snow.  Perhaps  it  is  be- 
cause the  thought  of  that  hunted  man  troubles  me  still," 
said  she. 

"  He  would  never  venture  near  the  house,  but  rather 
try  to  find  shelter  in  the  depths  of  the  ravine — however, 
to  reassure  you.  I  wonder  whether  it  is  snowing  as  hard 
as  ever,  Sergeant,"  I  said,  turning  towards  Mackay  as 
I  concluded. 

The  casements  were  double  and  sunk  in  a  recess  of 
the  thick  log  walls,  over  which  red  curtains  were  not 
wholly  drawn.  I  flung  one  behind  my  shoulder,  and 
when  the  heavy  folds  shut  out  the  light  inside  I  could 
see  for  some  little  distance  the  ghostly  glimmer  of  the 
snow.  Then,  returning  to  my  companion,  I  said  quietly : 


BONAVENTURE    RANCH  19 

"  There  is  nobody  outside,  and  I  should  have  seen  foot- 
prints if  there  had  been." 

Presently  the  two  girls  withdrew  to  attend  to  some 
household  duties,  and  Haldane,  who  handed  a  cigar  box 
around,  said  to  me :  "  Did  you  do  well  last  season, 
Ormesby,  and  what  are  your  ideas  concerning  the  pros- 
pects down  here  ?  " 

"  I  was  partly  fortunate  and  partly  the  reverse,"  I  an- 
swered. "  As  perhaps  you  heard,  I  put  less  into  stock 
and  sowed  grain  largely.  It  is  my  opinion  that,  as  has 
happened  elsewhere,  the  plow  furrows  will  presently  dis- 
place many  of  the  unfenced  cattle-runs.  It  is  hardly  wise 
to  put  all  one's  eggs  into  the  same  basket ;  but  my  plow- 
ing was  not  wholly  successful,  sir." 

"  It  is  a  long  way  to  Laurentian  tide-water,  and,  as- 
sisted by  Winnipeg  mills,  the  Manitoba  men  would  beat 
you,"  said  Haldane,  with  a  shrewd  glance  at  me. 

"  For  the  East  they  certainly  would,  sir,"  I  answered. 
"  But  I  see  no  reason  why,  if  we  get  the  promised  rail- 
road, we  should  not  have  our  own  mills ;  and  we  lie  near 
the  gates  of  a  good  market  in  British  Columbia." 

Haldane  nodded  approval,  and  I  was  gratified.  He 
was  not  a  practical  farmer,  but  it  was  said  that  he  rarely 
made  a  mistake  concerning  the  financial  aspect  of  any 
industrial  enterprise. 

"  You  may  be  right.  I  wish  I  had  taken  in  the  next 
ranch  when  I  bought  Bonaventure.  But,  from  what  I 
gather,  you  have  extended  your  operations  somewhat 
rapidly.  Is  it  permissible  to  ask  how  you  managed  in 
respect  to  capital  ?  " 

The  speaker's  tone  was  friendly,  and  I  did  not  resent 
the  question.  "  I  borrowed  on  interest,  sir ;  after  three 
good  seasons  I  paid  off  one  loan,  and,  seeing  an  oppor- 
tunity, borrowed  again.  As  it  happened,  I  lost  a  number 
of  my  stock;  but  this  year  should  leave  me  with  much 
more  plowland  broken  and  liabilities  considerably  re- 
duced." 

"  You  borrowed  from  a  bank  ?  "  asked  Haldane,  and 
looked  a  little  graver  when  I  answered,  "  No." 

It  was,  as  transpired  later,  a  great  pity  he  spoke  again 


20     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

before  I  told  him  where  I  had  obtained  the  money;  but 
fate  would  have  it  so. 

"  I  have  grown  gray  at  the  game  you  are  commencing ; 
but,  unless  you  have  a  gift  for  it,  it  is  a  dangerous  one, 
and  the  facilities  for  obtaining  credit  are  the  bane  of  this 
country,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  wish  to  check  any  man's 
enterprise,  but  I  knew  the  man  who  started  you,  and 
promised  him  in  his  last  sickness  to  keep  an  eye  on  you. 
Take  it  as  an  axiom  that  if  you  can't  get  an  honest  part- 
ner you  should  deal  only  with  the  banks.  Otherwise  the 
mortgage  speculator  comes  uppermost  in  the  end.  He'll 
carry  you  over,  almost  against  your  wishes,  when  times 
are  good,  but  when  a  few  adverse  seasons  run  in  succes- 
sion, he  will  take  you  by  the  throat  when  you  least 
expect  it.  Your  neighbors  are  panic-stricken ;  nobody 
with  money  will  look  at  your  property,  and  the  blood- 
sucker seizes  his  opportunity." 

"  But  if  he  sold  one  up  under  such  circumstances  he 
could  not  recover  his  loan,  much  less  charges  and  inter- 
est," I  interposed;  and  Haldane  laughed. 

"  A  man  of  the  class  I'm  describing  would  not  wish  to 
recover  in  that  way.  He  is  not  short  of  money,  and 
knows  bad  seasons  don't  last  forever,  so  he  sells  off  your 
property  for,  say,  half  its  value,  recovers  most  of  what 
he  lent,  and  still — remember  the  oppressive  interest — 
holds  you  fast  for  the  balance.  He  also  puts  up  a  dummy 
to  buy  the  place — at  depression  value — pays  a  foreman  to 
run  it,  and  when  times  improve  sells  the  property  on 
which  you  spent  the  borrowed  money  for  twice  as  much." 

Haldane  nodded  to  emphasize  his  remarks  as  he  leaned 
forward  towards  me.  "  The  man  you  were  hunting  was 
handled  in  a  similar  fashion,  and  it  naturally  made  him 
savage.  We  are  neighbors,  Ormesby,  and  if  ever  you 
don't  quite  see  your  way  out  of  a  difficulty  you  might 
do  worse  than  consult  me." 

He  moved  towards  the  others  when  I  thanked  him, 
and  left  me  slightly  troubled.  I  knew  his  offer  was  gen- 
uine, but  being  obstinately  proud,  there  were  reasons  why 
he  would  be  the  last  man  I  should  care  to  ask  for  assist- 
ance in  a  difficulty.  That  I  should  ever  have  anything 


BONAVENTURE    RANCH  21 

worth  offering  Beatrice  Haldane  appeared  at  one  time  a 
chimerical  fancy ;  but  though  her  father's  words  left  their 
impression,  I  had  made  some  progress  along  the  road 
to  prosperity.  Ever  since  the  brief  days  I  spent  in  her 
company  in  England  a  vague  purpose  nad  been  growing 
into  definite  shape ;  but  that  night  I  had  discovered,  with 
a  shock,  that  if  the  difference  in  wealth  between  us  had 
been  lessened,  she  was  far  removed  by  experience,  as  well 
as  culture,  from  a  plain  stock-raiser. 


CHAPTER  III 
A   MIDNIGHT   VISITOR 

THE  snow  had  thinned  a  little,  though  it  still  blew  hard, 
when,  before  retiring,  I  borrowed  a  lantern  and  made 
a  dash  for  the  stable.  The  horse  which  had  fallen  was 
a  valuable  one,  and,  remembering  how  stiffly  he  had 
moved,  I  was  anxious  about  him.  Winter  should  have 
been  over,  and  this  was  its'  last  effort,  but  the  cold  struck 
through  me,  and  I  knew  by  the  depth  of  the  snow  that 
a  horse  would  be  a  useless  incumbrance  to  the  fugitive, 
who  could  not  have  made  a  league  in  any  direction.  He 
was  probably  hiding  in  the  ravine,  and  it  appeared  cer- 
tain that  he  would  be  captured  on  the  morrow.  I  was 
therefore  the  less  surprised  when  the  stolen  mare  shuf- 
fled towards  me.  The  man  had  at  least  kept  his  promise 
to  release  her  when  useless;  but  I  was  still  slightly  puz- 
zled as  to  how  the  beast  had  found  her  own  way  to 
Bonaventure.  This  meant  work  for  me,  and  I  spent  some 
time  in  the  long,  sod-protected  building,  which  was  redo- 
lent of  peppermint  in  the  prairie  hay,  before  returning 
to  the  dwelling.  My  moccasins  made  no  sound  as  I  came 
softly  through  the  hall,  but  it  was  not  my  fault  that, 
when  I  halted  to  turn  out  and  hang  up  the  lantern,  voices 
reached  me  through  an  open  door. 

;<  You  are  in  charge  here,  and  will  see  that  the  lamps 
and  stoves  are  safe,  Lucille,"  one  of  them  said.  "  What 
did  you  think  about  our  guests  ?  " 

"  I  liked  them  immensely ;  the  sergeant  was  simply 
splendid,"  answered  another  voice.  :<  The  young  trooper 
was  very  nice,  too.  I  did  not  see  much  of  Mr.  Ormesby. 
He  talked  a  good  deal  to  you." 

There  was  no  mistaking  Beatrice  Haldane's  rippling 
laugh.  "  Rancher  Ormesby  is  amusing  for  a  change. 
One  grows  to  long  for  something  original  after  the 


A    MIDNIGHT    VISITOR  23 

stereotyped  products  of  the  cities.  Contact  with  primi- 
tive men  and  fashions  acts,  for  a  time,  as  a  tonic,  although 
too  much  of  it  might  serve  as,  say,  an  emetic." 

It  was  a  pity  it  had  not  occurred  to  me  to  rattle  the 
lantern  earlier,  for  though  women  do  not  always  mean 
what  they  say,  this  last  observation  was  not  particularly 
gratifying.  Neither  was  it  quite  what  I  had  expected 
from  Beatrice  Haldane.  Whether  the  fair  speaker 
guessed  that  she  had  been  overheard  or  not,  I  never 
knew;  but  because  a  ripple  of  subdued  laughter  reached 
me  as  a  door  swung  to,  I  surmised  that  her  sister  had 
found  cause  for  merriment.  Tired  as  I  was,  I  did  not 
feel  immediately  disposed  for  sleep,  and,  as  Haldane  had 
bidden  us  do  just  what  best  pleased  us,  I  looked  into  the 
troopers'  quarters  and  found  Mackay  and  one  of  his  sub- 
ordinates, who  had  preferred  to  spend  the  evening  with 
the  hired  hands,  asleep,  and  Cotton  cleaning  his  carbine. 

"  We'll  be  off  before  daybreak,  and  I  had  not  a  chance 
earlier.  I  would  not  have  missed  a  minute  of  this  even- 
ing for  promotion  to-morrow.  Of  course,  I'll  pay  for 
it  later;  but  that's  the  usual  rule,  and  partly  why  I'm 
serving  the  nation  as  Trooper  Cotton  now,"  he  said,  with 
a  mirthless  smile. 

"  You  are  getting  as  bad  as  the  sergeant,"  I  answered 
impatiently.  "  Come  along  when  you  have  finished,  if 
you're  not  overtired,  and  we'll  smoke  one  of  our  host's 
cigars  together.  He  left  the  box  for  us  beside  the  big 
hearth  in  the  hall." 

"  I'll  be  there  in  ten  minutes.  Mackay's  so  confound- 
edly particular  about  the  arms,"  said  Cotton. 

The  fire  was  burning  redly  in  the  hall,  though  the 
lamps  were  out,  when  I  ensconced  myself  in  a  deep 
chair  behind  a  deerhide  screen  quaintly  embroidered  by 
Indian  women.  The  cigar  was  a  good  one,  and  I  had 
much  to  think  about ;  so  it  was  not  until  a  shaft  of  light 
streamed  athwart  the  screen  that,  looking  round  it,  I 
noticed  that  Lucille  Haldane,  carrying  a  candle,  had  en- 
tered the  long  room.  She  set  it  down  on  a  table,  and 
stood  still,  glancing  about  her,  while  I  effaced  myself 
behind  the  screen.  The  girl  had  cast  her  hair  loose,  and 


24     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

it  rippled  in  glossy  masses  from  her  shoulders  to  the 
delicate  inward  curve  of  her  waist,  setting  forth  the  lithe 
shapeliness  of  her  figure.  Concluding  that  she  would 
withdraw  as  soon  as  she  was  satisfied  that  all  was  safe, 
I  decided  it  would  be  better  if  she  remained  unaware  of 
my  presence,  and  hoped  that  Cotton  would  delay  his 
coming.  To  judge  by  the  soft  footsteps,  she  was  re- 
turning, when  a  sudden  coldness  chilled  the  room.  The 
light  grew  uncertain,  as  though  the  candle  flickered  in 
a  draught,  and  a  door  I  had  not  previously  noticed  opened 
noiselessly. 

Wondering  what  this  might  mean,  I  sat  very  still,  and 
then  stared  blankly,  as  a  snow-whitened  object  came 
softly  into  the  room.  For  a  few  seconds  I  could  almost 
have  fancied  it  was  a  supernatural  visitant  rather  than 
a  creature  of  flesh  and  blood,  for  the  man's  face  was 
ghastly,  and  he  brought  the  chill  of  the  grave  with  him. 
He  was  bareheaded,  his  cheeks  ashy  gray,  and  clotted 
brown  patches  streaked  the  rag  bound  round  his  fore- 
head, while  the  snow  was  in  his  hair;  but  as  he  moved 
forward  I  had  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  him.  I  heard 
Lucille  Haldane  draw  in  her  breath  with  a  gasp,  and  it 
was  that  which  roused  me  to  action,  but  the  intruder 
broke  the  silence  first. 

"  Please  don't  cry  out.  You  are  perfectly  safe — and 
my  life  is  in  your  hands,"  he  said. 

"  Not  exactly ! "  I  broke  in,  and^  flinging  the  screen 
sideways,  stepped  between  him  and  the  girl.  The 
stranger's  hand  dropped  instinctively  to  the  holster  at 
his  waist,  then  he  let  it  fall  to  his  side. 

"  You  here,  Rancher  Ormesby !  I  freed  your  horse, 
and  you  have  no  further  cause  for  hunting  me  down," 
he  said,  with  a  composure  which  astonished  be.  "  I  am 
sorry  to  alarm  you,  Miss  Haldane,  but  it  was  the  truth 
I  told  you.  I  will  not  be  taken,  and  it  rests  with  you 
either  to  call  the  troopers  or  to  turn  me  out  to  freeze 
in  the  snow." 

In  spite  of  his  terrifying  appearance,  it  was  clear  that 
the  man  was  not  a  ruffian.  He  spoke  with  deference,  and 
his  voice  betrayed  consideration  for  the  girl;  and  again 


A    MIDNIGHT    VISITOR  25 

a  sense  of  compassion  came  upon  me.  Still,  there  was 
my  host's  daughter  to  consider,  and  I  turned  towards 
her. 

"  Will  you  go  away  and  leave  him  to  me  ?  "  I  said. 

Lucille  Haldane,  glancing  from  one  of  us  to  the  other, 
shook  her  head ;  and  I  think  we  must  have  formed  a  strik- 
ing tableau  as  we  stood  where  the  candle-light  flickered 
athwart  one  small  portion  of  the  long  shadowy  room. 
The  girl's  face  was  pale,  but  a  sudden  wave  of  color 
swept  across  it  when,  with  a  sinuous  movement  of  her 
neck,  she  flung  back  the  lustrous  masses  of  her  hair. 
She  was  dressed  as  I  had  last  seen  her,  except  that  the 
lace  collar  was  missing,  and  her  full  white  throat  gleamed 
like  ivory.  Yet,  though  her  voice  trembled  a  little,  she 
showed  small  sign  of  fear. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  how  you  came  here  ?  "  she  asked, 
and  as  the  question  applied  to  either,  we  both  answered  it. 

"  I  have  been  here  some  little  time,  and  feared  to  sur- 
prise you ;  but  am  very  glad  it  happened  so,"  I  said,  and 
the  stranger  followed  me. 

"  Rancher  Ormesby  is  unjustified  in  his  inference.  I 
came  in  by  the  ante-room  window.  Earlier  in  the  even- 
ing I  lay  outside  in  the  lee  of  the  building  watching  you, 
and  I  felt  that  I  might  risk  trusting  you,  so  I  waited  for 
an  opportunity.  I  knew  the  troopers  were  here;  but  I 
was  freezing  in  the  snow,  and  I  wondered  whether,  out 
of  charity,  you  would  give  me  a  little  food  and  let 
me  hide  in  an  outbuilding  until  the  blizzard  blows 
over?" 

Lucille  Haldane's  fear,  if  it  ever  lasted  more  than  a 
moment,  had  vanished,  and  her  eyes  glistened  with  wom- 
anly pity,  for  the  man's  strength  was  clearly  spent ;  but 
she  drew  herself  up  a  little.  "  What  have  you  done  to 
come  to  this  ?  "  said  she. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  should  tire  you,  and  somebody  might 
surprise  us,  before  I  told  you  half,"  he  answered  log- 
ically. "  You  must  take  my  word  that  all  I  did  was  to 
resist  by  force  the  last  effort  of  an  extortioner  to  com- 
plete my  ruin.  He  lent  me  money,  and  after  I  had  paid 
it  back  nearly  twice  over  he  tried  to  seize  the  little  that 


26     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

remained  between  me  and  destitution.  There  was  a 
fracas  and  he  was  shot — though  the  wound  was  only 
trifling." 

I  believed  the  terse  story,  and  saw  that  Lucille  Haldane 
did  also.  Then  I  grew  anxious  lest  Cotton  should  come 
in  before  she  had  made  her  decision.  "  There  is  not  a 
minute  to  lose.  Your  father  at  least  should  know.  Had 
you  not  better  tell  him  while  I  stay  here?  "  I  said. 

"  I  don't  think  so.  He  has  told  me  that  I  am  mistress 
at  Bonaventure,  and  I  might  rouse  the  troopers  in  calling 
him,"  the  girl  answered  steadily,  turning  from  me  to  the 
intruder.  "  I  think  I  can  believe  you,  and  you  will  find 
sleigh-robes  in  the  harness-room  at  the  end  of  the  long 
stable.  Slip  up  the  ladder  and  crawl  in  among  the 
hay.  The  sergeant  would  never  suspect  your  presence 
there." 

"  And  Rancher  Ormesby  ? "  asked  the  other,  with  a 
glance  at  me. 

"  Will  accept  the  mistress  of  Bonaventure's  decision," 
I  answered  dryly.  "  But  I  am  expecting  one  of  the 
troopers,  and  you  are  risking  your  liberty  every  second 
you  stay." 

"  He  is  starving,"  said  Lucille  Haldane.  "  There  is 
brandy  in  that  sideboard,  Mr.  Ormesby,  and  I  can  find 
cold  food  in  the  kitchen.  Ah  ! " 

I  had  forgotten,  while  I  strained  my  ears,  that  Cotton's 
moccasins  would  give  no  warning  as  he  came  down  the 
passage,  and  I  hurried  forward,  at  the  girl's  exclamation, 
a  second  too  late  to  bolt  the  door.  He  came  in  before  I 
reached  it,  and  halted  at  sight  of  the  outlaw,  gripping 
the  edge  of  the  table  as  suddenly  as  though  struck 
by  a  bullet.  He  was  a  lad  of  spirit,  and  I  saw  there 
was  some  special  cause  for  his  consternation,  and  that  he 
was  also  apparently  oblivious  of  the  presence  of  two  of 
the  party. 

"  Good  Lord !  Is  it  you,  Boone,  we  have  been  chasing 
all  day?"  he  said. 

I  seized  a  chair-back  and  measured  the  distance  be- 
tween myself  and  the  fugitive  as  I  noticed  the  venomous 
pistol  glint  in  his  hand.  But  he  lowered  the  muzzle  when 


A    MIDNIGHT    VISITOR  27 

he  saw  Cotton  clearly,  and,  with  a  glance  in  Miss  Hal- 
dane's  direction,  let  the  weapon  fall  out  of  sight  behind 
his  thigh. 

"  It  is,"  he  answered  steadily.  "  What  in  heaven's 
name  brought — you — to  Canada,  Charlie  Cotton,  and 
thrust  you  in  my  way?  It  was  in  a  very  different  char- 
acter from  your  present  one  that  I  last  saw  you." 

Both  apparently  forgot  the  spectators  in  their  mutual 
surprise,  though  Lucille  Haldane  stared  at  them  wide- 
eyed,  which  was  small  wonder,  considering  that  she  was 
a  romantic  girl  forced  for  the  first  time  to  play  a  part 
in  what  threatened  to  prove  an  unpleasantly  realistic 
tragedy.  It  was  hardly  possible  for  her  not  to  guess  that 
these  two  had  been  friends  in  very  different  circum- 
stances. 

Cotton  leaned  heavily  on  the  table,  and,  I  fancied, 
groaned;  then  straightened  himself  and  answered  in  a 
strained  voice  that  sounded  very  bitter:  "It  would  be 
useless  to  return  the  compliment,  though  the  contrast 
is  more  marked  in  your  case.  I  didn't  see  your  face,  and 
the  name  on  our  warrant  suggested  nothing.  This  is 
Her  Majesty's  uniform,  at  least — though  I  would  give 
ten  years'  pay  if  it  weren't.  Can't  you  see  that  I'm 
Trooper  Cotton,  and  must  skulk  away  a  deserter  unless 
I  arrest  you  ?  " 

"  There  does  not  seem  to  be  much  choice,"  Boone  said 
grimly.  "  Heaven  knows  how  little  there  is  to  attract 
any  man  in  the  life  I  have  been  leading ;  but  there  is  one 
good  cause  why  I  should  not  be  Quixotic  enough  to  give 
myself  up  to  oblige  you.  No !  Stand  back,  Charlie  Cot- 
ton— I  don't  want  to  hurt  you." 

The  pistol  barrel  glinted  as  it  rose  into  sight  again, 
and,  though  no  one  had  spoken  in  more  than  a  hoarse 
whisper  before,  a  heavy  silence  settled  upon  the  room, 
through  which  I  thought  I  could  hear  the  girl  catch 
at  her  breath.  I  stood  between  her  and  the  two  men,  but 
I  was  at  my  wits'  end  as  to  what  should  be  done.  By 
this  time  my  sympathies  were  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the 
unfortunate  rancher;  but  the  girl's  presence  complicated 
the  affair.  It  seemed  imperative  that  she  should  be  safely 


23     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

out  of  the  way  before  either  an  alarm  was  given  or  a 
struggle  ensued.  Yet  she  had  refused  to  vacate  the  posi- 
tion, and  I  realized  that  she  meant  it.  Meantime,  Cot- 
ton's face  was  a  study  of  indecision  and  disgust.  The  lad 
was  brave  enough,  but  it  seemed  as  though  the  mental 
struggle  had  partly  crippled  his  physical  faculties.  With 
a  gesture  of  dismay  he  turned  suddenly  to  me. 

"  It's  a  horrible  combination,  Ormesby.  Of  course,  I 
can't  tell  anybody  all,  but  I  knew  this  man  well,  and  was 
indebted  to  him  in  the  old  country.  Now  he  has  some- 
how broken  the  laws  of  the  Dominion,  and  I'm  bound  by 
my  oath  of  service  to  arrest  him.  There  is  no  other  course 
possible.  Boone,  I  can't  help  it.  Will  you  surrender 
quietly  ?  " 

"  No !  "  was  the  answer.  "  My  liberty  is  precious  be- 
cause I  have  work  to  do.  Move  or  call  out  at  your  peril, 
Charlie!" 

The  climax  was  evidently  approaching,  and  still  I  could 
do  nothing  for  fear  of  jeopardizing  Lucille  Haldane's 
safety  if  I  precipitated  it.  The  young  lad,  unarmed  as 
he  was,  stiffened  himself  as  for  a  spring,  and  I  wondered 
whether  I  could  reach  his  opponent's  pistol  arm  with  the 
chair-leg  in  time  when  the  trooper  moved  or  shouted. 
Then,  because  feminine  wits  are  often  quicker  than  our 
own,  I  saw  the  girl's  eyes  were  fixed  on  me,  as,  unnoticed 
by  the  others,  she  pointed  towards  the  candle.  Another 
second  passed  before  I  understood  her ;  then,  for  the  light 
stood  on  the  corner  of  the  table  nearest  me,  I  swept  one 
arm  out,  and  there  was  sudden  darkness  as  I  hurled  it 
sideways  across  the  room.  The  door  into  the  main  pas- 
sage swung  to,  and  Cotton  fell  over  something  as  he 
groped  his  way  towards  it,  while,  though  strung  up  in  a 
state  of  tension,  I  smiled,  hearing — what  he  did  not — 
somebody  brush  through  the  other  door,  which  it  was 
evident  had  escaped  his  notice. 

Next,  feeling  that  the  girl  was  mistress  of  the  position, 
I  stirred  the  sinking  fire  until  a  faint  brightness  shone  out 
from  the  hearth.  It  just  sufficed  to  reveal  Lucille  Hal- 
dane  standing  with  her  back  to  the  door  the  fugitive  had 
not  passed  through.  This  quick-witted  maneuver  suf- 


A   MIDNIGHT   VISITOR  29 

ficed  to  deceive  the  bewildered  representative  of  the  law. 
"  You  cannot  pass,  Trooper  Cotton,"  she  said. 

The  lad  positively  groaned.  "  Do  you  know  that  you 
are  disgracing  me  forever,  Miss  Haldane  ?  "  he  said,  in  a 
hoarse  appeal.  "  You  must  let  me  pass !  " 

The  girl  resolutely  shook  her  head,  and  the  dying  light 
showed  me  her  slender  fingers  tightly  clenched  on  the 
handle  of  the  door.  "  I  will  see  that  you  do  not  suffer  ; 
but  I  am  mistress  of  this  house,  and  I  think  you  are  an 
English  gentleman,  Trooper  Cotton,"  she  said. 

Then,  with  an  air  of  desperation,  the  lad  turned  to  me. 
"  Won't  you  try  to  persuade  her,  Ormesby?" 

"  No,"  I  said  dryly.  "  I  am  Miss  Haldane's  guest,  and 
not  a  police  officer.  I  am  sorry  for  you,  Cotton,  but  you 
have  done  your  best,  and  even  if  you  forget  your  own 
traditions  I'll  certainly  see  you  show  her  due  respect.  It 
is  not  your  fault  that  I  have  twice  your  strength,  but  it 
will  be  if,  while  Miss  Haldane  remains  here,  you  sum- 
mon your  comrades  by  a  shout." 

"  Confound  you !  You  never  thought "  he  broke 

out;  but,  ceasing  abruptly,  he  left  the  sentence  incom- 
plete ;  and,  feeling  that  there  were  two  sides  to  the  ques- 
tion, I  stood  aside  while  he  commenced  a  circuit  of  the 
room,  which  he  might  have  done  earlier.  Still,  Lucille 
Haldane  did  not  move,  for  each  moment  gained  might  be 
valuable,  until,  with  an  ejaculation,  he  discovered  and 
sprang  through  the  other  door.  Then,  hurrying  to  her 
side,  I  laid  my  hand  reassuringly  on  the  girl's  arm  and 
found  she  was  trembling  like  a  leaf  as  I  drew  the  door 
open. 

"  You  must  not  lose  a  moment,  and  I  think  you  should 
tell  your  father ;  but  you  can  trust  me  to  manage  Cotton 
and  keep  what  has  passed  a  secret,"  I  said. 

There  was  a  faint  "  Thank  you  " ;  while  hardly  had 
she  flitted  down  the  passage  than  a  shout  rang  out,  and 
hurrying  as  for  my  life,  I  found  Cotton  pounding  on  the 
inner  door  of  the  ante-room.  Noticing  that  the  window 
was  shut,  I  seized  his  shoulder  and  gripped  it  hard. 
"  Pull  yourself  together,  and  remember,  that  whatever 
tale  you  tell,  Miss  Haldane  does  not  figure  in  it,"  I  said. 


30     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"A  horse  would  be  no  use  to  him;  but  I'll  make  sure 
by  a  run  to  the  stable  while  you  acquaint  the  sergeant." 

It  was  still  snowing,  and  the  drifts  were  deep,  but  I 
managed  to  plunge  my  feet  into  the  hollows  left  by 
somebody  who  had  preceded  me,  and  there  was  a  bottle 
of  brandy  in  my  pocket.  I  returned,  floundering  as 
heavily  as  possible  along  my  outward  tracks — for  one 
learns  a  good  deal  when  trailing  wandering  steers  or 
stalking  antelope — and  met  Cotton,  who  now  carried  his 
carbine.  It  was  evident  that  he  was  bent  in  discharging 
his  duty  thoroughly,  for  when  I  announced  that  no 
horses  were  missing,  he  answered  shortly :  "  Thanks ; 
but  I'm  going  myself  to  see.  Mackay  and  Mr.  Haldane 
are  waiting  for  you." 

I  smiled  to  myself.  Trooper  Cotton  had  acquired 
small  proficiency  in  the  art  of  tracking,  and  I  knew  that 
my  footprints  would  not  only  deceive  him,  but  that,  fol- 
lowing them,  he  would  obliterate  evidence  that  might 
have  been  conclusive  to  the  sergeant's  practiced  eyes. 
All  the  male  inmates  of  Bonaventure  had  gathered,  half- 
dressed,  in  the  hall,  and  Sergeant  Mackay,  who  was  ask- 
ing questions,  turned  to  me.  "  Ye  were  here  when  he 
came  in,  Rancher  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  I  was,"  I  answered.  "  I  didn't  hear  him  until  he 
was  in  the  room;  but  he  seemed  starving,  and  presum- 
ably ran  the  risk  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  food." 

"Why  did  ye  not  seize  him  or  raise  the  alarm?" 
asked  the  sergeant;  and  I  shrugged  my  shoulders. 

"  I  was  wholly  unarmed,  and  he  is  a  desperate  man 
with  a  pistol.  You  may  remember  mentioning  that  his 
capture  was  not  my  business." 

"  I  mind  that  I  have  seen  ye  take  as  heavy  risks  when, 
for  a  five-dollar  wager,  ye  drove  a  loaded  sledge  over 
the  rotten  ice,"  said  the  sergeant,  with  a  searching  glance 
at  me.  "  While  ye  did  nothing  Trooper  Cotton  came  in 
to  help  ye?" 

"  Just  so !  He  had  no  weapon  either,  but  appeared 
quite  willing  to  face  the  outlaw's  pistol,  when  the  candle 
went  out,  and  the  man  must  have  slipped  out  by  the  sec- 
ond door  in  the  dark.  I  made  for  the  stables  at  once, 


A    MIDNIGHT   VISITOR  31 

but  all  the  horses  were  safe.  My  own,  I  discovered 
earlier,  had  come  back  by  itself." 

"  Ye  showed  little  sense,"  said  Mackay ;  while  Hal- 
dane  glanced  curiously  at  me.  "  What  would  he  do  with 
a  horse  in  two  foot  of  snow?  There  are  points  I'm  no' 
clear  about;  but  there'll  be  time  for  questions  later. 
Ah !  Found  ye  anything,  Trooper  Cotton  ?  " 

"No,"  said  the  lad.  "Nothing  but  the  footprints 
made  by  Ormesby;  and  I  can  only  presume  that,  there 
being  no  lee  on  that  side,  the  wind  would  fill  the  horse- 
thief's  track  with  snow.  He  would  never  risk  trying 
the  outbuildings  when  he  knew  that  we  were  here." 

"  No,"  was  the  sergeant's  answer.  "  He'll  be  for  the 
ravine.  We'll  take  our  leave,  Mr.  Haldane,  with  thanks 
for  your  hospitality,  leaving  the  horses  in  the  meantime. 
It  is  a  regret  to  me  we  have  brought  this  disturbance 
upon  ye." 

Two  minutes  later  the  police  had  vanished  into  the 
snow,  and  in  another  ten  Bonaventure  was  almost  silent 
again.  I  went  back  to  my  couch  and  slept  soundly, 
being  too  wearied  to  wonder  whether  I  had  done  well  or 
ill.  Next  morning  Haldane  called  me  into  a  room  of  his 
own. 

"  My  daughter  has  told  me  what  took  place  last  night, 
and  while,  in  one  sense,  I'm  indebted  to  you,  Ormesby, 
I  really  can't  decide  whether  you  showed  a  lamentable 
lack  of  judgment  in  abetting  her,"  he  said.  "  She  is  a 
brave  little  soul,  but  does  not  always  spare  time  to  think. 
Frankly,  I  wish  this  thing  had  not  come  about  as  it  did." 

He  spoke  seriously,  but  there  was  a  kindliness  in  his 
eyes,  and  it  was  easy  to  see  that  Carson  Haldane's 
younger  daughter  was  his  idol,  which  slightly  puzzled 
me.  There  were  those  who  heaped  abuse  upon  his  head, 
and  it  is  possible  his  financial  operations  did  not  benefit 
everybody,  for  when  men  grow  rich  by  speculation  some- 
body must  lose.  There  are,  however,  many  sides  to 
every  nature,  and  I  always  found  him  an  upright,  kindly 
gentleman,  while  only  those  who  knew  him  best  could 
guess  that  he  was  faithful  to  a  memory,  and  that  the 
gracious  influence  of  one  he  had  lost  still  swayed  him. 


32     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  I  am  sorry  if  I  acted  indiscreetly,  sir ;  but  I  could 
think  of  no  other  course  at  the  time,"  I  said.  "  Do  you 
know  where  the  man  is  now  ?  " 

"  It  is  sometimes  unwise  to  ask  questions,  and  I  have 
not  inquired  too  closely,"  and  Haldane  laid  his  hand  on 
my  shoulder.  "  It  must  be  our  secret,  Ormesby,  and  I 
should  prefer  that  Miss  Haldane  did  not  share  it;  this — 
I  suppose  one  must  call  it  an  escapade — might  trouble 
her.  I  presume  you  could  rely  on  that  lad's  discretion. 
He  was  evidently  not  brought  up  for  a  police  trooper." 

"  I  think  you  could  depend  on  him,  sir ;  and,  as  you 
know,  a  good  many  others  in  this  country  follow  voca- 
tions they  were  never  intended  for." 

"  Well,  we  will  say  no  more  on  that  subject,"  he  an- 
swered. "  The  doctors  tell  me  I  have  been  working 
under  too  great  a  strain,  and  as  they  recommend  quiet 
and  relaxation,  I  decided  to  try  six  months'  practical 
ranching.  My  partner  will  no  doubt  arrange  that  other 
folks  pay  the  bill;  but  this  is  hardly  a  peaceful  begin- 
ning." 

Haldane  laughed  before  he  added,  significantly :  "  In 
one  respect  I'm  duly  grateful,  Ormesby,  and — in  confi- 
dence— here  is  a  proof  of  it.  You  are  staking  high  on 
the  future  of  this  region.  Well,  the  railroad  will  be 
built,  which  will  naturally  make  a  great  difference  in  the 
value  of  adjacent  land.  You  will,  however,  remember 
that,  in  accordance  with  medical  advice,  I  am  now  ranch- 
ing for  my  health." 

I  remembered  it  was  said  that  Carson  Haldane  could 
anticipate  long  before  anybody  else  what  the  powers  at 
Ottawa  would  sanction  or  veto,  and  that  a  hint  from  him 
was  valuable.  "  It  is  good  news,  and  I  presume  that 
Bonaventure  will  have  extended  its  boundaries  by  the 
time  you  recover,  sir,"  I  said. 

That  evening  Sergeant  Mackay  returned  to  requisition 
provisions,  and  departed  again.  He  was  alone,  and  very 
much  disgusted,  having  no  news  of  the  fugitive.  He 
did  not  revisit  Bonaventure  during  the  next  day  I  re- 
mained there,  and  presumably  the  man  he  sought  slipped 
away  when  the  coast  was  clear.  Perhaps  the  fact  that 


A   MIDNIGHT   VISITOR  33 

the  whirling  drifts  would  obliterate  his  tracks  had  de- 
ceived the  sergeant,  and  we  supposed  the  contrabandists 
who  dealt  in  prohibited  liquor  had  smuggled  him  across 
the  American  frontier.  The  night  before  I  took  my  leave 
Beatrice  Haldane  looked  across  at  her  sister,  who  sat 
sewing  near  the  stove,  and  then  at  me. 

"  Since  you  recovered  your  horse  I  am  not  altogether 
sorry  the  hunted  man  got  away,"  she  said.  "  There  are, 
however,  two  things  about  the  affair  which  puzzle  me — 
how  the  candlestick  my  sister  carried  when  she  made  the 
rounds  reached  the  table  in  the  hall  where  it  is  never  left ; 
and  why  I  should  find  the  candle  it  contained  under  the 
sideboard  in  the  room  the  intruder  entered!  Can  you 
suggest  any  solution,  Mr.  Ormesby  ?  " 

I  felt  uncomfortable,  knowing  that  Beatrice  Haldane 
was  not  only  clever  herself,  but  the  daughter  of  a  very 
shrewd  man,  while  her  eyes  were  fixed  steadily  on  me. 
Lucille's  head  bent  lower  over  her  sewing,  and,  though  I 
would  have  given  much  to  answer  frankly,  I  felt  that  she 
trusted  me.  So  I  said,  as  indifferently  as  I  could: 
"  There  might  be  several,  and  the  correct  one  very  sim- 
ple. Somebody  must  have  knocked  the  candlestick  over 
in  his  hurry  and  forgotten  about  it.  Have  you  been 
studying  detective  literature  latterly  ?  " 

Beatrice  Haldane  said  nothing  further;  but  I  realized 
that  I  had  incurred  her  displeasure,  and  was  not  greatly 
comforted  by  the  grateful  glance  her  sister  flashed  at  me. 


CHAPTER   IV 
THE  TIGHTENING   OF   THE   NET 

IT  was  a  hot  morning  of  early  summer  when  I  rode  up 
the  low  rise  to  my  house  at  Gaspard's  Trail.  A  few 
willows  straggled  behind  one  side  of  it,  but  otherwise 
it  rose  unsheltered  from  the  wind-swept  plain,  which, 
after  a  transitory  flush  of  greenness,  had  grown  dusty 
white  again.  I  had  been  in  the  saddle  since  sunrise, 
when  the  dewy  freshness  had  infused  cheerfulness  and 
vigor  into  my  blood,  but  now  it  was  with  a  feeling  of 
dejection  I  reined  in  my  horse  and  sat  still,  looking 
about  me. 

The  air  was  as  clear  as  crystal,  so  that  the  birches  far 
off  on  the  western  horizon  cut  sharply  against  the  blue. 
All  around  the  rest  of  the  circle  ran  an  almost  unbroken 
sweep  of  white  and  gray,  streaked  in  one  place  by  the 
dust  of  alkali  rolling  up  from  a  strip  of  bitter  water, 
which  flashed  like  polished  steel.  Long  plow-furrows 
stretched  across  the  foreground,  but  even  these  had  been 
baked  by  pitiless  sunshine  to  the  same  jinonotony  of 
color,  and  it  was  well  I  had  not  sown  the  whole  of 
them,  for  sparse,  sickly  blades  rose  in  the  wake  of  the 
harrows  where  tall  wheat  should  have  been.  Behind 
these  stood  the  square  log  dwelling  and  straggling  out- 
buildings of  logs  and  sod,  all  of  a  depressing  ugliness, 
while  two  shapeless  yellow  mounds,  blazing  under  the 
sunshine,  represented  the  strawpile  granaries.  There 
was  no  touch  of  verdure  in  all  the  picture,  for  it  had 
been  a  dry  season,  which  boded  ill  for  me. 

Presently  a  horse  and  a  rider,  whose  uniform  was 
whitened  by  the  fibrous  dust,  swung  out  of  a  shallow 
ravine — or  coulee,  as  we  called  them — and  Trooper  Cot- 
ton cantered  towards  me.  "  Hotter  than  ever,  and  I 
suppose  that  accounts  for  your  downcast  appearance," 

34 


THE    TIGHTENING    OF    THE    NET       35 

he  said.  "  I've  never  seen  weather  like  it.  Even  the 
gophers  are  dead." 

"  It  grows  sickening ;  but  you  are  wrong  in  one  re- 
spect," I  answered  ruefully.  "  All  the  gophers  in  the 
country  have  collected  around  my  grain  and  wells.  As 
they  fall  in  after  every  hearty  meal  of  wheat,  we  have 
been  drinking  them.  You  are  just  in  time  for  breakfast, 
and  I'll  be  glad  of  your  company.  One  overlooks  a  good 
deal  when  things  are  going  well,  but  the  sordid  monot- 
ony of  these  surroundings  palls  on  one  now  and  then." 

"  You  are  not  the  only  man  who  feels  it,"  said  the 
trooper,  while  a  temporary  shadow  crossed  his  face. 
"  You  have  been  to  Bonaventure  too  often,  Ormesby. 
Of  course,  it's  delightful  to  get  into  touch  with  things  one 
has  almost  forgotten,  but  I  don't  know  that  it's  wise 
for  a  poor  man,  which  is,  perhaps,  why  I  allowed  Hal- 
dane  to  take  me  in  last  night.  You,  however,  hardly 
come  into  the  same  category." 

"  I  shall  soon,  unless  there's  a  change  in  the  weather," 
I  answered  with  a  frown.  "  But  come  in,  and  tell  me 
what  Haldane — or  his  daughters — said  to  you." 

"  I  didn't  see  much  of  Miss  Haldane,"  said  Cotton,  as 
we  rode  on  together.  "  Of  course,  she's  the  embodiment 
of  all  a  woman  of  that  kind  should  be;  but  I  can't  help 
feeling  it's  a  hospitable  duty  when  she  talks  to  me.  You 
see  I've  forgotten  most  of  the  little  I  used  to  know,  and 
she  is,  with  all  respect,  uncomfortably  superior  to  an 
average  individual." 

I  was  not  pleased  with  Trooper  Cotton,  but  did  not 
tell  him  so.  "  Presumably  you  find  Miss  Lucille  under- 
stands you  better  ? "  I  answered,  with  a  trace  of  ill- 
humor. 

The  lad  looked  straight  at  me.  "  I'm  not  responsible 
for  the  weather,  Ormesby,"  he  said,  a  trifle  stiffly.  "  Still, 
since  you  have  put  it  so,  it's  my  opinion  that  Miss  Lu- 
cille Haldane  would  understand  anybody.  She  has  the 
gift  of  making  you  feel  it  also.  To  change  the  subject, 
however,  I  was  over  warning  Bryan  about  his  fireguard 
furrows,  and  yours  hardly  seem  in  accordance  with  the 
order." 


36     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

I  laughed,  and  said  nothing  further  until  a  man  in  a 
big  straw  hat  appeared  in  the  doorway.  "  Who's  that  ?  " 
asked  Cotton,  drawing  his  bridle. 

"  Foster  Lane,"  I  answered.  "  He  came  over  yester- 
day." 

"  Ah !  "  said  the  trooper,  pulling  out  his  watch.  "  On 
reflection,  perhaps  I  had  better  not  come  in.  I  am  due 
at  the  Cree  reserve  by  ten,  and,  as  my  horse  is  a  little 
lame,  I  don't  want  to  press  him.  This  time  you  will  ex- 
cuse me." 

His  excuse  was  certainly  lame,  as  I  could  see  little  the 
matter  with  the  horse ;  and,  being  short  of  temper  that 
morning,  I  answered  sharply :  "  I  won't  press  you ;  but 
is  it  a  coincidence  that  you  remember  this  only  when  you 
recognize  Lane  ?  " 

Trooper  Cotton,  who  was  frank  by  nature  and  a  poor 
diplomatist,  looked  uneasy.  "  I  don't  want  to  offend 
you,  Ormesby,  but  one  must  draw  the  line  somewhere, 
and  I  will  not  sit  down  with  that  man,"  he  said.  "  I 
know  he's  your  guest,  but  you  would  not  let  me  back  out 
gracefully,  and,  if  it's  not  impertinent,  I'll  add  that  I'm 
sorry  he  is." 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  being  able  to  draw  lines,  but 
just  now  I  myself  cannot  afford  to  be  particular,"  I  an- 
swered dryly;  and  when,  with  a  feeble  apology,  Cotton 
rode  away,  it  cost  me  an  effort  to  greet  the  other  man 
civilly. 

As  breakfast  was  ready,  he  took  his  place  at  the  table, 
and  glanced  at  me  whimsically.  Foster  Lane  was  neither 
very  prepossessing  nor  distinctly  the  reverse  in  appear- 
ance. He  was  stout,  and  somewhat  flabby  in  face,  with 
straw-colored  hair  and  a  thick-lipped  mouth;  but  while 
his  little  eyes  had  a  humorous  twinkle,  there  was  a  sug- 
gestion of  force  as  well  as  cunning  about  him.  He  was 
of  middle  age,  and  besides  representing  a  so-styled  "  de- 
velopment company"  was,  by  profession,  land  agent, 
farmers'  financier,  and  mortgage  jobber,  and,  as  nat- 
urally follows,  a  usurer. 

"  Say,  I'm  not  deaf  yet,  Ormesby,"  he  commenced, 
with  coarse  good-humor.  "  Particular  kind  of  trooper 


THE    TIGHTENING    OF    THE    NET       37 

that  one,  isn't  he?  Is  he  another  broken-up  British  bar- 
onet's youngest  son,  or — because  they  only  raise  his  kind 
in  the  old  country — what  has  the  fellow  done  ?  " 

"  He's  a  friend  of  mine,"  I  answered.  "  I  never  in- 
quired of  him.  Still,  I'm  sorry  you  overheard  him." 

"  That's  all  right,"  was  the  answer.  "  My  hide  is  a 
pretty  thick  one;  and  one  needs  such  a  protection  in  my 
business.  Give  a  dog  a  bad  name  and  you  may  as  well 
hang  him,  Rancher  Ormesby,  although  I  flatter  myself 
I'm  a  necessity  in  a  new  country.  How  many  struggling 
ranchers  would  go  under  in  a  dry  season  but  for  my 
assistance;  and  how  many  fertile  acres  now  growing  the 
finest  wheat  would  lie  waste  but  for  me?  Yet,  when  I 
ask  enough  to  live  on,  in  return,  every  loafer  without 
energy  or  foresight  abuses  me.  It's  a  very  ungrateful 
world,  Ormesby." 

Lane  chuckled  as  he  wiped  his  greasy  forehead,  and 
paused  before  he  continued :  "  I've  been  thinking  all 
night  about  carrying  over  the  loan  you  mentioned,  and 
though  money's  scarce  just  now,  this  is  my  suggestion. 
I'll  let  you  have  three-fourths  of  its  present  appraised 
value  on  Crane  Valley,  and  you  can  then  clear  Gaspard's 
Trail,  and  handle  a  working  balance.  I'd  sooner  do  that 
than  carry  over — see  ?  " 

I  set  down  my  coffee  cup  because  I  did  not  see.  I 
had  expected  he  would  have  exacted  increased  interest 
on  the  loan  due  for  repayment,  and  interest  in  Western 
Canada  is  always  very  high;  but  it  seemed  curious  that 
he  should  wish  to  change  one  mortgage  for  another.  It 
also  struck  me  that  if,  in  case  I  failed  to  make  repay- 
ment, Crane  Valley  would  be  valuable  to  him,  it  should 
be  worth  at  least  as  much  to  me. 

'  That  would  not  suit  me,"  I  said. 

"  No  ?  "  and  Lane  spoke  slowly,  rather  as  one  asking 
a  question  than  with  a  hint  of  menace.  "  Feel  more  like 
letting  me  foreclose  on  you?" 

"  You  could  not  do  that,  because  I  should  pay  you 
off,"  I  said.  "  I  could  do  it,  though  there's  no  use  deny- 
ing that  it  would  cripple  me  just  now.  As  of  course  you 
know,  whatever  I  could  realize  on  at  present,  when 


38     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

everybody  is  short  of  money  and  trade  at  a  standstill, 
should  bring  twice  as  much  next  season.  That  is  why  I 
wish  the  loan  to  run  on." 

"  Well !  "  And  Lane  helped  himself  before  he  an- 
swered. "  In  that  case,  I'll  have  to  tax  you  an  extra 
ten  per  cent.  It  seems  high,  but  no  bank  would  look  at 
encumbered  property  or  a  half-developed  place  like 
Crane  Valley.  Take  it,  or  leave  it,  at  six  months'  date. 
That  would  give  you  time  to  sell  your  fat  stock  and 
realize  on  your  harvest." 

I  fancied  there  was  a  covert  sneer  in  the  last  words, 
because  I  had  faint  hope  of  any  harvest,  and  answered 
accordingly.  "  It  seems  extortionate,  but  even  so,  should 
pay  me  better  than  sacrificing  now." 

"  Money's  scarce,"  said  Lane  suavely.  "  I'm  going 
on  to  Lawrence's,  and  will  send  you  in  the  papers. 
Lend  me  as  good  a  horse  as  you  have  for  a  day  or 
two." 

I  did  not  like  the  man's  tone,  and  the  request  was  too 
much  like  an  order;  but  I  made  no  further  comment; 
though  a  load  seemed  lifted  from  me  when  he  rode 
away,  and  I  started  with  my  foreman  to  haul  home 
prairie  hay.  It  was  fiercely  hot,  and  thick  dust  rolled 
about  our  light  wagon,  while  each  low  rise,  cut  off  as  it 
were  from  the  bare  levels,  floated  against  the  horizon. 
The  glare  tired  one's  vision,  and,  half-closing  my  aching 
eyes,  I  sank  into  a  reverie.  For  eight  long  years  I  had 
toiled  late  and  early,  taxing  the  strength  of  mind  and 
body  to  the  utmost.  I  had  also  prospered,  and  lured  on 
by  a  dream,  first  dreamed  in  England,  I  grew  more  am- 
bitious, breaking  new  land  and  extending  my  herds  with 
borrowed  capital.  That  had  also  paid  me  until  a  bad 
season  came,  and  when  both  grain  and  cattle  failed, 
Lane  became  a  menace  to  my  prosperity.  It  was  a  bare 
life  I  and  my  foreman  lived,  for  every  dollar  hardly  won 
was  entrusted  in  some  shape  to  the  kindly  earth  again, 
and  no  cent  wasted  on  comforts,  much  less  luxuries ;  but  I 
had  seldom  time  to  miss  either  of  them,  and  it  was  not 
until  Haldane  brought  his  daughters  to  Bonaventure 
that  I  saw  what  a  man  with  means  and  leisure  might 


THE    TIGHTENING    OF    THE    NET       39 

make  of  his  life.  Then  came  the  reaction,  and  there 
were  days  when  I  grew  sick  of  the  drudgery  and  heavy 
physical  strain;  but  still,  spurred  on  alternately  by  hope 
and  fear,  I  relaxed  no  effort. 

Now,  artificial  grasses  are  seldom  sown  on  the  prairie 
where  usually  the  natural  product  grows  only  a  few 
inches  high,  and  as  building  logs  are  scarce,  implements 
are  often  kept  just  where  they  last  were  used.  It  was 
therefore  necessary  to  seek  hay  worth  cutting  in  a  dried- 
out  slough,  or  swamp,  and  next  to  find  the  mower,  which 
might  lie  anywhere  within  a  radius  of  four  miles  or  so. 
We  came  upon  them  both  together,  the  mower  lying  on 
its  side,  red  with  rust,  amid  a  stretch  of  waist-high 
grass.  The  latter  was  harsh  and  wiry,  heavy-scented 
with  wild  peppermint,  and  made  ready  for  us  by  the 
sun. 

There  were,  however,  preliminary  difficulties,  and  I 
had  worked  myself  into  a  state  of  exasperation  before 
the  rusty  machine  could  be  induced  to  run.  After  a 
vigorous  hammering  and  the  reckless  use  of  oil  the  pair 
of  horses  were  at  last  just  able  to  haul  it,  groaning 
vehemently,  through  the  dried-up  swamp.  I  was  stripped 
almost  to  the  skin  by  this  time,  the  dust  that  rose  in 
clouds  turned  to  mire  upon  my  dripping  cheeks  and  about 
my  eyes,  while  bloodthirsty  winged  creatures  hovered 
round  my  head. 

"  This,"  said  Foreman  Thorn,  as  he  wiped  the  red 
specks  from  his  face  and  hands,  "  is  going  to  be  a  great 
country.  We  can  raise  the  finest  insects  on  the  wide  earth 
already.  The  last  time  I  was  down  to  Traverse  a  man 
came  along  from  somewhere  with  a  gospel  tent,  and 
from  what  he  said  there  wasn't  much  chance  for  anyone 
to  raise  cattle.  He'd  socked  it  to  us  tolerable  for  half- 
an-hour  at  least,  when  Tompson's  Charlie  gets  up  and 
asks  him :  '  Did  you  ever  break  half-thawn  sod  with 
oxen  ? '  '  No,  my  man ;  but  this  interruption  is  un- 
seemly,' says  he.  '  It's  not  a  conundrum,'  says  Charlie. 
'  Did  you  ever  sleep  in  a  mosquito  muskeg  or  cut  hay  in 
a  dried-out  slough  ? '  and  the  preacher  seeing  we  all 
wanted  an  answer,  shakes  his  head.  '  Then  you  start  in 


40    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and  try,  and  find  out  that  there  are  times  when  a  man 
must  talk  or  bust,  before  you  worry  us/  says  Charlie. 
But  who's  coming  along  now  ?  " 

I  had  been  too  busy  to  pay  much  attention  to  the  narra- 
tive or  to  notice  a  rattle  of  wheels,  and  I  looked  up  only* 
when  a  wagon  was  drawn  up  beside  the  slough.     A 
smooth-shaven  man,  with  something  familiar  about  his 
face,  sat  on  the  driving-seat  smiling  down  at  me. 

"  Good-morning,  Rancher  Ormesby.  Wanting  any 
little  pictures  of  yourself  to  send  home  to  friends  in  the 
old  country?"  he  said,  pointing  to  what  looked  like  the 
lens  of  a  camera  projecting  through  the  canvas  behind 
him.  "  I'll  take  you  for  half-a-dollar,  as  you  are,  if 
you'll  give  me  the  right  to  sell  enlargements  as  a  prairie 
study." 

The  accent  was  hardly  what  one  might  have  expected 
from  one  of  the  traveling  adventurers  who  at  intervals 
wandered  across  the  country,  and  I  looked  at  the  speaker 
with  a  puzzled  air.  "  I  have  no  time  to  spare  for  fool- 
ing, and  don't  generally  parade  half-naked  before  either 
the  public  or  my  civilized  friends,"  I  said. 

"  Some  people  look  best  that  way,"  answered  the  other, 
regarding  me  critically;  whereupon  Thorn  turned  round 
and  grinned.  "  The  team  and  tall  grass  would  make  an 
effective  background.  Stand  by  inside  there,  Edmond. 
It's  really  not  a  bad  model  of  a  bare  throat  and  torso, 
and  as  I  don't  know  that  your  face  is  the  best  of  you,  the 
profile  with  a  shadow  on  it  would  do — just  so!  Say,  I 
wonder  did  you  know  those  old  canvas  overalls  drawn 
in  by  the  leggings  are  picturesque  and  become  you? 
There — I'm  much  obliged  to  you." 

A  faint  click  roused  me  from  the  state  of  motionless 
astonishment  his  sheer  impudence  produced,  and  when  I 
strode  forward  Thorn's  grin  of  amusement  changed  to 
one  of  expectancy.  "  You  don't  want  any  hair-restorer, 
apparently,  though  I've  some  of  the  best  in  the  Dominion 
at  a  dollar  the  bottle;  but  I  could  give  you  a  salve  for 
the  complexion,"  continued  the  traveler,  and  I  stopped 
suddenly  when  about  to  demand  the  destruction  of  the 
negative  or  demolish  his  camera. 


THE    TIGHTENING    OF    THE    NET       41 

"Good  heavens,  Boone!  Is  it  you;  and  what  is  the 
meaning  of  this  mummery  ? "  I  asked,  staring  at  him 
more  amazed  than  ever. 

"  Just  now  I'm  called  Adams,  if  you  please,"  said  the 
other,  holding  out  his  hand.  "  I  hadn't  an  opportunity 
for  thanking  you  for  your  forbearance  when  we  met  at 
Bonaventure,  but  I  shall  not  readily  forget  it.  This  is 
not  exactly  mummery.  It  provides  me  with  a  living,  and 
suits  my  purpose.  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of 
trying  to  discover  whether  you  recognized  me,  or  whether 
I  was  playing  my  part  artistically." 

"  Are  you  not  taking  a  big  risk,  and  why  don't  you 
exploit  a  safer  district  ?  "  I  asked ;  and  the  man  smiled 
as  he  answered :  "  I  don't  think  there's  a  settler  around 
here  who  would  betray  me  even  if  he  guessed  my  identity, 
and  the  troopers  never  got  a  good  look  at  me.  I  live  two 
or  three  hundred  miles  east,  you  see,  and  the  loss  of  a 
beard  and  mustache  alters  any  man's  appearance  con- 
siderably. I  also  have  a  little  business  down  this  way. 
Have  you  seen  anything  of  Foster  Lane  during  the  last 
week  or  two?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  said.  "  He  has  just  ridden  over  from  my 
place  to  Lawrence's,  in  Crane  Valley." 

"  You  have  land  there,  too,"  said  Boone,  as  though 
aware  of  it  already ;  and  when  I  nodded,  added :  "  Then 
if  you  are  wise  you  will  see  that  devil  does  not  get  his 
claws  on  it.  I  presume  you  are  not  above  taking  a  hint 
from  me  ?  " 

I  looked  straight  at  him.  "  I  know  very  little  of  you 
except  that  there  is  a  warrant  out  for  your  arrest,  and  I 
am  not  addicted  to  taking  advice  from  strangers," 

Boone  returned  my  gaze  steadily  without  resentment, 
and  I  had  time  to  take  note  of  him.  He  was  a  tall,  spare, 
sinewy  man,  deeply  bronzed  like  most  of  us;  but  now 
that  he  had,  as  it  were,  cast  off  all  pertaining  to  the 
traveling  pedlar,  there  was  an  indefinite  something  in 
his  speech  and  manner  which  could  hardly  have  been 
acquired  on  the  prairie.  He  did  not  look  much  over 
thirty,  but  his  forehead  was  seamed,  and  from  other 
signs  one  might  have  fancied  he  was  a  man  with  a  pain- 


42     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ful  history.  Then  he  flicked  the  dust  off  his  jean  gar- 
ments with  the  whip,  and  laughed  a  little. 

"  I  am  an  Englishman,  Rancher  Ormesby,  and,  need- 
less to  say,  so  are  you.  We  are  not  a  superfluously 
civil  people,  and  certain  national  characteristics  betray 
you.  I  fancy  we  shall  be  better  acquainted,  and,  that 
being  so,  feel  prompted  to  tell  you  a  story  which,  after 
what  passed  at  Bonaventure,  you  perhaps  have  a  right  to 
know.  You  will  stop  a  while  for  lunch,  anyway,  and  if 
you  have  no  objections  I  will  take  mine  along  with 
you." 

I  could  see  no  reasonable  objection  to  this,  and  pres- 
ently we  sat  together  under  the  wagon  for  the  sake  of 
coolness,  while,  when  the  mower  ceased  its  rattle,  the 
dust  once  more  settled  down  upon  the  slough.  It  was  al- 
most too  hot  to  eat ;  there  was  no  breath  of  wind,  and  the 
glare  of  the  sun-scorched  prairie  grew  blinding. 

"  I  should  not  wonder  if  you  took  most  kindly  to  in- 
direct advice,  and  there  is  a  moral  to  this  story,"  said 
Boone,  when  I  lit  my  pipe.  "  Some  years  ago  a  dis- 
appointed man,  who  knew  a  little  about  land  and  horses, 
came  out  from  the  old  country  to  farm  on  the  prairie, 
bringing  with  him  a  woman  used  hitherto  to  the 
smoother  side  of  life.  He  saw  it  was  a  good  land  and 
took  hold  with  energy,  believing  the  luck  had  turned  at 
last,  while  the  woman  helped  him  gallantly.  For  a  time 
all  went  well  with  them,  but  the  loneliness  and  hardship 
proved  too  much  for  the  woman,  whose  strength  was  of 
the  spirit  and  not  of  the  body,  and  she  commenced  to 
droop  and  pine.  She  made  no  complaint,  but  her  eyes 
lost  their  brightness,  and  she  grew  worn  and  thin,  while 
the  man  grew  troubled.  She  had  already  given  up  very 
much  for  him.  He  saw  his  neighbors  prospering  on  bor- 
rowed capital,  and,  for  the  times  were  good,  determined 
to  risk  sowing  a  double  acreage.  That  meant  comfort  in- 
stead of  privation  if  all  went  well,  and,  toiling  late  and 
early,  he  sowed  hope  for  a  brighter  future  along  with  the 
grain.  So  far  it  is  not  an  uncommon  story." 

I  nodded,  when  the  speaker,  pausing,  stared  somberly 


THE    TIGHTENING    OF    THE    NET       43 

towards  the  horizon,  for  since  that  English  visit  I  also 
had  staked  all  I  hoped  for  in  the  future  on  the  chances 
of  the  seasons. 

"  The  luck  went  against  him,"  the  narrator  continued. 
"  Harvest  frost,  drought,  and  summer  hail  followed  in 
succession,  and  when  the  borrowed  money  melted  the 
man  who  held  the  mortgage  foreclosed.  He  was  within 
his  rights  in  this,  but  he  went  further,  for  while  there 
were  men  in  that  district  who  would,  out  of  kindliness  or 
as  a  speculation,  have  bought  up  the  settler's  possessions 
at  fair  prices,  the  usurer  had  his  grasp  also  on  them,  and 
when  a  hint  was  sent  them  they  did  nothing.  Therefore 
the  auction  was  a  fraud  and  robbery,  and  all  was  bought 
up  by  a  confederate  for  much  less  than  its  value.  There 
was  enough  to  pay  the  loan  off — although  the  interest 
had  almost  done  so  already — but  not  enough  to  meet  the 
iniquitous  additions ;  and  the  farmer  went  out  ruined  on 
to  Government  land  with  a  few  head  of  stock  a  richer 
man  he  had  once  done  a  service  to  gave  him;  but  the 
woman  sickened  in  the  sod  hovel  he  built.  There  was  no 
doctor  within  a  hundred  miles,  and  the  farmer  had 
scarcely  a  dollar  to  buy  her  necessaries.  Even  then  the 
usurer  had  not  done  with  him.  He  entered  proceedings 
to  claim  the  few  head  of  cattle  for  balance  of  the  twice- 
paid  debt.  The  farmer  could  not  defend  himself;  some- 
body took  money  for  willful  perjury  to  evade  a  clause  of 
the  homestead  exemptions,  and  the  usurer  got  his  order. 
The  woman  lay  very  ill  when  he  came  with  a  band  of 
desperadoes  to  seize  the  cattle.  They  threatened  vio- 
lence; a  fracas  followed,  and  the  farmer's  hands  were, 
for  once,  unsteady  on  the  rifle  he  did  not  mean  to  use, 
for  when  a  drunken  cowboy  would  have  ransacked  his 
dwelling  the  trigger  yielded  prematurely,  and  the  usurer 
was  carried  off  with  a  bullet  through  his  leg.  The 
woman  died,  and  was  buried  on  a  lonely  rise  of  the 
prairie;  and  the  man  rode  out  with  hatred  in  his  heart 
and  a  price  upon  his  head.  You  should  know  the  rest  of 
the  story — but  the  sequel  is  to  follow.  It  was  not  with- 
out an  effort  or  a  motive  I  told  it  you." 

I    stretched    out   my    hand    impulsively    towards    the 


44     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

speaker.  "  It  is  appreciated.  I  need  not  ask  one  name, 
but  the  other " 

"  Is  Foster  Lane ;  and  in  due  time  he  shall  pay  in  full 
for  all." 

Boone's  voice,  which  had  grown  a  trifle  husky,  sank 
with  the  last  words  to  a  deeper  tone,  and  the  sinewy 
right  hand  he  raised  for  a  moment  fell  heavily,  tight- 
clenched,  upon  his  knee.  He  said  nothing  further  for 
a  while,  but  I  felt  that  if  ever  the  day  of  reckoning  came 
one  might  be  sorry  for  Foster  Lane. 

Presently  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  rose  abruptly. 
"  I  have  a  case  of  pomade  to  sell  the  Swedes  over  yonder, 
and  if  my  luck  is  good,  some  photographs  to  take,"  he 
said,  resuming  his  former  manner.  "  I  presume  you 
wouldn't  care  to  decorate  your  house  with  tin-framed 
oleographs  of  German  manufacture.  I  have  a  selection, 
all  of  the  usual  ugliness.  Whatever  happens,  one  must 
eat,  you  know.  Well,  Lane's  gone  into  Crane  Valley, 
and  it  happens  I'm  going  that  way,  too.  This,  I  hope, 
is  the  beginning  of  an  acquaintance,  Ormesby." 

He  sold  Thorn  a  bottle  of  some  infallible  elixir  before 
he  climbed  into  his  tented  wagon,  and  left  me  troubled 
as  he  jolted  away  across  the  prairie.  One  thing,  how- 
ever, I  was  resolved  upon,  and  that  was  to  pay  off  Foster 
Lane  at  the  earliest  opportunity.  By  parting  with  my 
best  stock  at  a  heavy  sacrifice  it  seemed  just  possible  to 
accomplish  it. 


CHAPTER   V 
A   SURPRISE   PARTY 

EXCEPT  when  the  snow  lies  deep  one  has  scanty  leisure 
on  the  prairie,  and  when  Adams  departed  Thorn  and  I 
hurriedly  recommenced  our  task.  We  had  lost  time  to 
make  up,  and  vied  with  each  other;  for  I  had  discovered 
that,  even  in  a  country  where  all  work  hard,  much  more 
is  done  for  the  master  who  can  work  himself.  Pitching 
heavy  trusses  into  a  wagon  is  not  child's  play  at  that 
temperature,  but  just  then  the  exertion  brought  relief, 
and  I  was  almost  sorry  when  Thorn  went  off  with  the 
lurching  vehicle,  leaving  me  to  the  mower  and  my 
thoughts.  The  latter  were  not  overpleasant  just  then. 
Still,  the  machine  needed  attention,  and  the  horses  needed 
both  restraint  and  encouragement,  for  at  times  they 
seemed  disposed  to  lie  down,  and  at  others,  maddened 
by  the  insects,  inclined  to  kick  the  rusty  implement  into 
fragments,  and  I  grew  hoarse  with  shouting,  while  the 
perspiration  dripped  from  me. 

It  was  towards  six  o'clock,  and  the  slanting  sunrays 
beat  pitilessly  into  my  face,  which  was  thick  with  fibrous 
grime,  when,  with  Thorn  lagging  behind,  I  tramped  stiffly 
beside  the  wagon  towards  my  house.  My  blue  shirt  was 
rent  in  places;  the  frayed  jean  jacket,  being  minus  its 
buttons,  refused  to  meet  across  it;  and  nobody  new  to 
the  prairie  would  have  taken  me  for  the  owner  of  such 
a  homestead  as  Gaspard's  Trail.  Thick  dust,  through 
which  mounted  figures  flitted,  rolled  about  the  dwelling, 
and  a  confused  bellowing  mingled  with  the  human  shouts 
that  rose  from  behind  the  long  outbuildings. 

"  It's  Henderson's  boys  bringing  shipping  stock  along. 
Somebody's  been  squeezing  him  for  money  or  he  wouldn't 
sell  at  present,"  said  Thorn,  who  rejoined  me.  "  They'll 
camp  here  to-night  and  clean  up  the  larder.  I  guess 
most  everybody  knows  how  Henderson  feeds  them." 

45 


46     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

There  are  disadvantages  attached  to  the  prairie  cus- 
tom of  free  hospitality,  and  I  surmised  that  Henderson's 
stock  riders  might  have  pushed  on  to  the  next  homestead 
if  they  had  not  known  that  we  kept  a  good  table  at 
Gaspard's  Trail.  Nevertheless,  I  was  thankful  that  no 
stranger  need  ever  leave  my  homestead  hungry,  and  only 
wondered  whether  my  cook's  comments  would  be  unduly 
sulphurous.  When  I  reached  the  wire-fenced  corral, 
which  was  filled  with  circling  cattle  and  an  intolerable 
dust,  a  horseman  flung  his  hand  up  in  salute. 

"  We're  bound  for  the  Indian  Spring  Bottom  with  an 
H  triangle  draft,"  he  said.  "  The  grass  is  just  frizzled 
on  the  Blackfeet  run,  and  we  figured  we'd  camp  right 
here  with  you  to-night." 

"  That's  all  right ;  but  couldn't  you  have  fetched  Car- 
son's by  dusk  without  breaking  anybody's  neck;  and 
yonder  beasts  aren't  branded  triangle  H,"  I  said. 

The  horseman  laughed  silently  in  prairie  fashion. 
"  Well,  we  might  and  we  mightn't ;  but  Carson's  a  close 
man,  and  I've  no  great  use  for  stale  flapjacks  and  glucose 
drips.  No,  sir,  I'm  not  greedy,  and  we'll  just  let  Carson 
keep  them  for  himself.  Those  beasts  marked  dash  circle 
are  the  best  of  the  lot.  Lane's  put  the  screw  on  Red- 
mond, and  forced  him  to  part.  Redmond's  down  on  his 
luck.  He's  crawling  round  here  somewhere,  cussing 
Lane  tremendous." 

"  Lane  seems  to  own  all  this  country,"  I  answered 
irritably.  "  Has  he  got  a  hold  on  your  master,  too  ?  I 
told  him  and  Redmond  I  was  saving  that  strip  of  sweet 
prairie  for  myself." 

"  He  will  own  all  the  country,  if  you  bosses  don't  kick 
in  time,"  was  the  dry  answer.  "  I  don't  know  how  ours 
is  fixed,  but  he's  mighty  short  in  temper,  and  you've  no 
monopoly  of  unrecorded  prairie.  Say,  it  might  save 
your  boys  a  journey  if  we  took  your  stock  along  with  us 
and  gave  them  a  chance  before  this  draft  cleans  all  the 
sweet  grass  up.  Redmond  told  me  to  mention  it." 

The  offer  was  opportune,  and  I  accepted  it;  then 
hurried  towards  the  galvanized  iron  shed  which  served 
as  summer  quarters  for  the  general  utility  man  who  acted 


A    SURPRISE    PARTY  47 

as  cook.  He  was  a  genius  at  his  business,  though  he  had 
learned  it  on  board  a  sailing  ship.  He  was  using  fiery 
language  as  he  banged  his  pans  about.  "  It's  a  nice  state 
of  things  when  a  cattle-whacking  loafer  can  walk  right 
in  and  tell  me  what  he  wants  for  his  supper,"  he  com- 
menced. "  General  Jackson !  it's  bad  enough  when  a 
blame  cowboy  outfit  comes  down  on  one  like  the  locusts 
and  cleans  everything  up,  but  it's  worse  just  when  I'm 
trying  to  fix  a  special  high-grade  meal." 

"  I'm  not  particular.  What  is  good  enough  for  a  cow- 
boy is  good  enough  for  a  rancher  any  time,"  I  said ;  and 
the  cook,  who  was  despotic  master  of  his  own  domain, 
jerked  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder  in  the  direction  of 
the  house.  "  Guess  it  mightn't  be  to-night.  Get  out, 
and  give  me  a  fair  show.  You're  blocking  up  the 
light." 

I  went  on  towards  the  house,  wondering  what  he  could 
mean,  but  halted  on  the  threshold  of  our  common  room, 
a  moment  too  late.  We  had  worked  night  and  day  dur- 
ing spring  and  early  summer,  and  the  sparely-furnished 
room  was  inches  deep  in  dust.  Guns,  harness  I  had  no 
time  to  mend,  and  worn-out  garments  lay  strewn  about 
it,  save  where,  in  a  futile  attempt  to  restore  order,  I  had 
hurled  a  pile  of  sundries  into  one  corner.  Neither  was 
I  in  exactly  a  condition  suitable  for  feminine  society,  and 
Beatrice  Haldane,  who  had  by  some  means  preserved  her 
dainty  white  dress  immaculate,  leaned  back  in  an  ox- 
hide chair  regarding  me  with  quiet  amusement.  Her 
father  lounged  smoking  in  the  window  seat,  and  it  was 
his  younger  daughter  who,  when  I  was  about  to  retreat, 
came  forward  and  mischievously  greeted  me. 

"  I  believe  you  were  ready  to  run  away,  Mr.  Ormesby, 
and  you  really  don't  seem  as  much  pleased  to  see  us  as 
you  ought  to  be,"  she  said.  "  You  know  you  often  asked 
us  to  visit  you,  so  you  have  brought  this  surprise  party 
on  your  own  head." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  suffer  for  your  rashness,  but  you 
see  those  men  out  there.  They  generally  leave  famine 
behind  them  when  they  come,"  I  said. 

The  girl  nodded.     "  They  are  splendid.     I  have  been 


48     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

talking  to  them,  and  made  one  sit  still  while  I  drew  him. 
Please  don't  trouble  about  supper.  I  have  seen  cookie, 
and  he's  going  to  make  the  very  things  I  like." 

Miss  Haldane's  eyebrows  came  down  just  a  trifle,  and 
I  grew  uneasy,  wondering  whether  it  was  the  general 
state  of  chaos  or  my  own  appearance  which  had  dis- 
pleased her;  but  Haldane  laughed  heartily  before  he 
broke  in :  "  Lucille  is  all  Canadian.  She  has  not  been 
to  Europe  yet,  and  I  am  not  sure  that  I  shall  send  her. 
She  has  examined  the  whole  place  already,  and  decided 
that  you  must  be  a  very " 

The  girl's  lips  twitched  with  suppressed  merriment, 
but  she  also  reddened  a  little ;  and  I  interposed :  "  A 
very  busy  man,  was  it  not?  Now  you  must  give  me  ten 
minutes  in  which  to  make  myself  presentable." 

I  was  glad  to  escape,  and,  for  reasons,  withdrew  side- 
ways in  crab  fashion,  while  what  suspiciously  resembled 
smothered  laughter  followed  me.  By  good  luck,  and 
after  upsetting  the  contents  of  two  bureaus  upon  the 
floor,  I  was  able  to  find  garments  preserved  for  an  oc- 
casional visit  to  the  cities,  and,  flinging  the  window  open, 
I  hailed  a  man  below  to  bring  me  a  big  pail  of  water. 
He  returned  in  ten  minutes  with  a  very  small  one,  and 
with  the  irate  cook  expostulating  behind  him,  while  I 
feared  his  comments  would  be  audible  all  over  the 
building. 

"  Cook  says  the  well's  playing  out,  and  washing's  fool- 
ishness this  weather.  The  other  pail's  got  dead  gophers 
in  it,  and  Jardine  allows  he  caught  cookie  fishing  more  of 
them  out  of  the  water  he  used  for  the  tea." 

"  Fling  them  out,  and  for  heaven's  sake  let  me  have  the 
thing.  I'm  getting  used  to  gophers,  and  dead  ones  can't 
bite  you,"  I  said,  fearing  that  if  the  indignant  cook  got 
to  close  quarters  the  precious  fluid  might  be  spilled.  Then 
while  I  completed  my  toilet  Cotton  came  in. 

"  Perhaps  I  was  hardly  civil  this  morning,"  he  com- 
menced. "  I'm  out  for  four  days'  fire-guard  inspecting, 
and  thought  I'd  come  round  and  tell  you " 

"  That  you  saw  the  Bonaventure  wagon  heading  in 
this  direction,"  I  interposed.  "  Well,  you're  always  wel- 


A    SURPRISE    PARTY  49 

come  at  Gaspard's  Trail,  and  I  presume  you  won't  feel 
tempted  to  draw  the  line  at  my  present  guests." 

Cotton  dropped  into  my  one  sound  chair.  "  I  suppose 
I  deserve  it,  Ormesby.  We  shall  not  get  such  oppor- 
tunities much  longer,  and  one  can't  help  making  the  most 
of  them,"  he  said. 

We  went  down  together;  and  there  was  no  doubt  that 
the  cook  had  done  his  best,  while  Haldane  laughed  and 
his  younger  daughter  looked  very  demure  when,  as  we 
sat  down  at  table,  I  stared  about  my  room.  It  had  lost 
its  bare  appearance,  the  thick  dust  had  gone,  and  there 
was  an  air  of  comfort  about  it  I  had  never  noticed  before. 

"  You  see  what  a  woman's  hand  can  do.  Lucille 
couldn't  resist  the  temptation  of  straightening  things  for 
you,"  observed  the  owner  of  Bonaventure.  "  She  said 
the  place  resembled  a " 

The  girl  blushed  a  little,  and  shook  her  head  warningly 
at  her  father,  while,  as  she  did  so,  her  bright  hair  caught 
a  shaft  of  light  from  the  window  and  shimmered  like 
burnished  gold.  For  a  moment  it  struck  me  that  she 
equaled  her  sister  in  beauty ;  and  she  was  wholly  bewitch- 
ing with  the  mischief  shining  in  her  eyes.  There  was, 
however,  a  depth  of  kindliness  beneath  the  mischief,  and 
I  had  seen  the  winsome  face  grow  proud  with  a  high 
courage  one  night  when  the  snows  whirled  about  Bona- 
venture. Nevertheless,  I  straightway  forgot  it  when 
Beatrice  Haldane  set  to  work  among  the  teacups  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  for  her  presence  transfigured  the  room. 
I  had  often,  as  I  sat  there  through  the  bitter  winter 
nights,  pictured  her  taking  a  foremost  place  in  some  scene 
of  brightness  in  London  or  Montreal,  but  never  presiding 
at  my  poor  table  or  handling  my  dilapidated  crockery 
with  her  dainty  fingers.  She  did  it,  as  she  did  every- 
thing, very  graciously;  while,  to  heighten  the  contrast, 
the  lowing  of  cattle  and  the  hoarse  shouts  of  those  who 
drove  them,  mingled  with  whipcracks  and  the  groaning 
of  jolting  wagons,  came  in  through  the  open  windows. 

For  a  time  the  meal  progressed  satisfactorily.  Hal- 
dane was  excellent  company,  and  I  had  almost  forgotten 
my  fears  that  some  untoward  accident  might  happen, 


50     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

when  his  younger  daughter  asked :  "  What  is  a  gopher, 
Mr.  Cotton?  I  have  heard  of  them,  but  never  saw  one." 

I  projected  a  foot  in  his  direction  under  the  table,  re- 
gretting I  had  discarded  my  working  boots,  and  Haldane, 
dropping  his  fork,  looked  up  sharply. 

"  A  little  beast  between  a  rat  and  a  squirrel,  which 
lives  in  a  hole  in  the  ground.  There  are  supposed  to  be 
more  of  ^  them  round  Gaspard's  Trail  than  anywhere  in 
Canada,"  answered  the  trooper,  incautiously.  "  That's 
quite  correct,  Ormesby.  You  cannot  contradict  me." 

I  did  not  answer,  but  grew  uneasy,  seeing  that  he  could 
not  take  a  hint ;  and  the  girl  continued :  "  Are  they  fond 
of  swimming?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  answered  Cotton,  with  a  slightly 
puzzled  air ;  and  then  added,  with  an  infantile  attempt  at 
humor,  for  which  I  longed  to  choke  him :  "  I'm  not  a 
natural  historian,  but  Ormesby  ought  to  know.  I  found 
him  not  long  ago  in  a  very  bad  temper  fishing  dozens  of 
dead  ones  out  of  his  well.  Perhaps  they  swam  too  long, 
and  were  too  tired  to  climb  out,  you  know." 

Lucille  Haldane,  who  had  been  thirsty,  gave  a  little 
gasp  and  laid  her  hand  on  the  cup  Cotton  would  have 
passed  on  for  replenishing.  Her  sister  glanced  at  her 
with  some  surprise,  and  then  quietly  set  down  her  own, 
while  I  grew  hot  all  over  and  felt  savagely  satisfied  by 
the  way  he  winced  that  this  time  I  had  got  my  heel 
well  down  on  Cotton's  toe.  Then  there  was  an  awk- 
ward silence  until  Haldane,  leaning  back  in  his  chair, 
laughed  boisterously  when  the  lad,  attempting  to  retrieve 
one  blunder,  committed  another. 

"  I  am  afraid  there  are  a  good  many  at  Bonaventure, 
and  it  is  not  Ormesby's  fault,  you  see.  It  is  almost  im- 
possible for  anybody  to  keep  them  out  of  the  wells  in  dry 
weather;  but  nobody  minds  a  few  gophers  in  this 
country." 

Haldane  had  saved  the  situation ;  but  his  elder  daughter 
filled  no  more  teacups,  and  both  my  fair  guests  seemed 
to  lose  their  appetite,  while  I  was  almost  glad  when  the 
meal  I  had  longed  might  last  all  night  was  over  and 
Lucille  and  her  father  went  out  to  inspect  the  cattle.  I, 


A    SURPRISE    PARTY  51 

however,  detained  Cotton,  who  was  following  them  with 
alacrity. 

"  Your  jokes  will  lead  you  into  trouble  some  day,  and 
it's  a  pity  you  couldn't  have  displayed  your  genius  in  any 
other  direction,"  I  said. 

"  You  need  not  get  so  savage  over  a  trifle,"  he 
answered  apologetically.  "  I  really  didn't  mean  to  upset 
things — it  was  an  inspiration.  No  man  with  any  taste 
could  be  held  responsible  for  his  answers  when  a  girl 
with  eyes  like  hers  cross-questions  him.  You  really  ought 
to  cultivate  a  better  temper,  Ormesby." 

I  let  him  go,  and  joined  Beatrice  Haldane,  who  had 
remained  behind  the  rest.  She  did  not  seem  to  care  about 
horses  and  cattle,  and  appeared  grateful  when  I  found 
her  a  snug  resting-place  beneath  the  strawpile  granary. 

"  You  are  to  be  complimented,  since  you  have  realized 
at  least  part  of  your  aspirations,"  she  said,  as  she  swept 
a  glance  round  my  possessions.  "  Is  it  fair  to  ask,  are 
you  satisfied  with — this  ?  " 

I  followed  her  eyes  with  a  certain  thrill  of  pride. 
Wheat  land,  many  of  the  dusty  cattle,  broad  stretch  of 
prairie,  barns,  and  buildings  were  mine,  and  the  sinewy 
statuesque  horsemen,  who  came  up  across  the  levels  be- 
hind further  bunches  of  dappled  hide  and  tossing  horns, 
moved  at  my  bidding.  By  physical  strain  and  mental 
anxiety  I  had  steadily  extended  the  boundaries  of  Gas- 
pard's  Trail,  and,  had  I  been  free  from  Lane,  would  in 
one  respect  have  been  almost  satisfied.  Then  I  looked  up 
at  my  companion,  whose  pale-tinted  draperies  and  queenly 
head  with  its  clustering  dark  locks  were  outlined  against 
the  golden  straw,  and  a  boldness,  as  well  as  a  great  long- 
ing, came  upon  me. 

"  It  is  a  hard  life,  but  a  good  one,"  I  said.  "  There  is 
no  slackening  of  anxiety  and  little  time  for  rest,  but  the 
result  is  encouraging.  When  I  took  hold,  with  a  few 
hundred  pounds  capital,  Gaspard's  Trail  was  sod-built 
and  its  acreage  less  than  half  what  it  is  at  present;  but 
this  is  only  the  beginning,  and  I  am  not  content.  Bad 
seasons  do  not  last  forever,  and  in  spite  of  obstacles  I 
hope  the  extension  will  continue  until  it  is  the  largest 


52    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

holding  on  all  this  prairie;  but  even  that  consummation 
will  be  valuable  only  as  the  means  to  an  end." 

Beatrice  Haldane  looked  at  me  with  perfect  composure. 
"  Is  it  all  worth  while,  and  how  long  have  you  been  so 
ambitious  ? "  she  asked,  with  a  smile,  the  meaning  of 
which  I  could  not  fathom. 

"  Since  a  summer  spent  in  England  showed  me  possi- 
bilities undreamed  of  before,"  I  said;  and  while  it  is 
possible  that  the  vibration  in  my  voice  betrayed  me,  the 
listener's  face  remained  a  mask.  Beatrice  Haldane  was 
already  a  woman  of  experience. 

"  One  might  envy  your  singleness  of  purpose,  but  there 
are  things  which  neither  success  nor  money  can  buy," 
she  said.  "  Probably  you  have  no  time  to  carefully 
analyze  your  motives,  but  it  is  not  always  wise  to  take 
too  much  for  granted.  Even  if  you  secured  all  you  be- 
lieve prosperity  could  give  you  you  might  be  disap- 
pointed. Wiser  men  have  found  themselves  mistaken, 
Rancher  Ormesby." 

"  You  are  right  in  the  first  case,"  I  answered.  "  But 
in  regard  to  the  other,  would  not  the  effort  be  proof 
enough  ?  Would  any  man  spend  the  best  years  of  his  life 
striving  for  what  he  did  not  want  ?  " 

"  Some  have  spent  the  whole  of  it,  which  was  perhaps 
better  than  having  the  longer  time  for  disappointment," 
answered  the  girl,  with  a  curious  smile.  "  But  are  we 
not  drifting,  as  we  have  done  before,  into  a  profitless  dis- 
cussion of  subjects  neither  of  us  knows  much  about? 
Besides,  the  sun  is  swinging  farther  west  and  the  glare 
hurts  my  eyes,  while  father  and  Lucille  appear  inter- 
ested yonder." 

Beatrice  Haldane  always  expressed  herself  quietly,  but 
few  men  would  have  ventured  to  disregard  her  implied 
wishes,  and  I  took  the  hint,  fearing  I  had  already  said 
too  much.  Gaspard's  Trail  was  not  yet  the  finest  home- 
stead on  the  prairie,  and  the  time  to  speak  had  not 
arrived.  When  we  joined  Haldane  it  was  a  somewhat 
stirring  sight  we  looked  upon.  A  draft  of  my  own  cattle 
came  up  towards  the  corral  at  a  run,  mounted  men  shout- 
ing as  they  cantered  on  each  flank,  while  one,  swinging 


A    SURPRISE    PARTY  53 

a  whip  twice,  raced  at  a  gallop  around  the  mass  of  toss- 
ing horns  when  the  herd  would  have  wheeled  and  broken 
away  from  the  fence  in  a  stampede.  The  earth  vibrated 
to  the  beat  of  hoofs ;  human  yells  and  a  tumultuous  bel- 
lowing came  out  of  the  dust;  and  I  sighed  with  satis- 
faction when,  cleverly  turned  by  a  rider,  who  would 
have  lost  his  life  had  his  horse's  speed  or  his  own  nerve 
failed  hkn,  the  beasts  surged  pell-mell  into  the  enclosure. 
Much  as  I  regretted  to  part  with  them,  their  sale  should 
set  me  free  of  debt. 

Then  the  flutter  of  a  white  dress  caught  my  eye,  and 
I  saw  Lucille  Haldane,  who,  it  seemed,  had  already 
pressed  the  foreman  into  her  service,  applauding  when 
Thorn,  cleverly  roping  a  beast,  reined  in  his  horse,  and, 
jerking  it  to  a  standstill,  held  it  for  her  inspection.  It 
no  doubt  pleased  him  to  display  his  skill,  but  I  saw  it  was 
with  Thorn,  as  it  had  been  with  the  sergeant,  a  privilege 
to  interest  the  girl.  She  walked  close  up  to  the  untamed 
creature,  which,  with  heaving  sides  and  spume  dripping 
from  its  nostrils,  seemed  to  glare  less  angrily  at  her,  while 
Thorn  appeared  puzzled  as  he  answered  her  rapid  ques- 
tions, and  Haldane  leaned  on  the  rails  with  his  face 
curiously  tender  as  he  watched  her.  Trooper  Cotton, 
coming  up,  appropriated  Miss  Haldane  with  boyish  assur- 
ance, and  her  father  turned  to  me. 

"  My  girl  has  almost  run  me  off  my  feet,  and  now  that 
she  has  taken  possession  of  your  foreman,  I  should  be 
content  to  sit  down  to  a  quiet  smoke,"  he  said.  "  Will 
you  walk  back  to  the  house  with  me?  " 

I  could  only  agree,  but  I  stopped  on  the  way  to  speak 
to  one  of  the  men  who  had  brought  in  the  cattle.  He 
was  a  struggling  rancher,  without  enterprise  or  ability, 
and  generally  spoken  of  with  semi-contemptuous  pity. 
"  I'm  obliged  to  you,  Redmond,  for  suggesting  that  you 
would  take  my  draft  along;  but  why  didn't  you  come  in 
and  take  supper  with  the  rest?  This  sort  of  banquet 
strikes  me  as  the  reverse  of  neighborly,"  I  said. 

The  man  fidgeted  as  he  glanced  at  the  dirty  handker- 
chief containing  eatables  beside  him.  "  I  figured  you  had 
quite  enough  without  me,  and  I  don't  feel  in  much  humor 


54     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

for  company  just  now/'  he  said.  "  This  season  has  hit 
me  mighty  hard." 

"  Something  more  than  the  season  has  hit  him,"  com- 
mented Haldane,  as  we  proceeded.  "  If  ever  I  saw  a 
weak  man  badly  ashamed  of  himself,  that  was  one.  You 
can't  think  of  any  underhand  trick  he  might  have  played 
you  lately?" 

"  No,"  I  answered  lightly.  "  He  is  a  harmless  crea- 
ture, and  has  no  possible  reason  for  injuring  me." 

"  Quite  sure  ?  "  asked  Haldane,  with  a  glance  over  his 
shoulder  as  we  entered  the  door.  "  I've  seen  men  of  his 
kind  grow  venomous  when  driven  into  a  corner.  How- 
ever, it's  cool  and  free  from  dust  in  here.  Sit  down  and 
try  this  tobacco." 

Haldane  was  said  to  be  a  shrewd  judge  of  his  fellow- 
men,  but  I  could  see  no  cause  why  Redmond  should 
cherish  a  grudge  against  me,  and  knew  he  had  spoken  the 
truth  when  he  said  the  seasons  had  hit  him  hardly.  It 
was  currently  reported  that  he  was  heavily  in  debt,  and 
the  stock-rider  had  suggested  that  Lane  was  pressing 
him.  When  Haldane  had  lighted  a  cigar  he  took  a  roll 
of  paper  off  the  table  and  tossed  it  across  to  me,  saying, 
"  Is  that  your  work,  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  No.  I  never  saw  it  before,"  I  answered,  when  a 
glance  showed  me  that  the  paper  contained  a  cleverly 
drawn  map  of  our  vicinity,  and  Haldane  nodded. 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  I  hardly  expected  it  was.  Some  of 
your  recent  visitors  must  have  dropped  it,  and  as  my 
daughter  found  it  among  the  litter  during  the  course  of 
her  improvements,  and  asked  whether  it  should  be  pre- 
served, I  could  not  well  help  seeing  what  it  was.  Look 
at  the  thing  again,  and  tell  me  what  you  conclude  from 
it." 

"  That  whoever  made  it  had  a  good  eye  for  the  most 
valuable  locations  in  this  district,"  I  answered,  thought- 
fully. "  He  has  also  shaded  with  the  same  tint  part  of 
my  possessions  in  Crane  Valley." 

"  Exactly !  "  and  Haldane  gazed  intently  into  the  blue 
cigar  smoke.  "  Does  it  strike  you  that  the  man  who 
made  the  map  intended  to  acquire  those  locations,  and 


A    SURPRISE    PARTY  55 

that,  considering  the  possible  route  of  the  railway,  he 
showed  a  commendable  judgment?  " 

"  It  certainly  does  so  now/'  I  answered ;  and  Haldane 
favored  me  with  a  searching  glance.  "  Then  when  you 
discover  who  it  is,  keep  your  eyes  on  him,  and  especially 
beware  of  giving  him  any  hold  on  you." 

I  suspected  that  Lane  had  made  the  map,  and  it  is  a 
pity  I  did  not  take  Haldane  into  my  full  confidence ;  but 
misguided  pride  forbade  it,  and  we  smoked  in  silence 
until  the  opportunity  was  lost,  for  he  rose,  saying :  "  No 
peace  for  the  wicked;  the  girls  are  returning.  Great 
heavens !  I  thought  the  child  had  broken  her  neck !  " 

While  Thorn  went  round  by  the  slip-rails,  a  slender, 
white-robed  figure  on  a  big  gray  horse  sailed  over  the 
tall  fence  and  came  up  towards  the  house  at  a  gallop, 
followed  by  the  startled  foreman.  Haldane,  whose  un- 
shakable calm  was  famous  in  Eastern  markets,  quivered 
nervously,  and  I  felt  relieved  that  there  had  been  no 
accident,  for  it  was  a  daring  leap.  Then,  while  Cotton 
and  Beatrice  Haldane  followed,  Lucille  came  in  flushed 
and  exultant. 

"  We  have  had  a  delightful  time,  father,  and  you  must 
leave  me  in  charge  of  Bonaventure  when  you  go  East," 
she  said.  "  But  where  did  you  get  the  lady's  saddle, 
Mr.  Ormesby?  " 

"  It  is  not  mine,"  I  answered,  smiling.  "  It  belongs  to 
my  neighbor's  sister,  Sally  Steel.  She  rode  a  horse  over 
here  for  Thorn  to  doctor." 

I  regretted  the  explanation  too  late.  Steel  was  a  good 
neighbor,  but  common  report  stigmatized  his  sister  as  a 
reckless  coquette,  and  by  the  momentary  contraction  of 
Beatrice  Haldane's  forehead  I  feared  that  she  had  heard 
the  gossip.  If  this  were  so,  however,  she  showed  no 
other  sign  of  it. 

When  a  delicious  coolness  preceded  the  dusk  it  was 
suggested  that  Cotton  should  sing  to  us,  and  he  did  so, 
fingering  an  old  banjo  of  mine  with  no  mean  skill.  I 
managed  to  find  a  place  by  Beatrice  Haldane's  side,  and 
when  the  pale  moon  came  out  and  the  air  had  the  quality 
of  snow-cooled  wine,  her  sister  sang  in  turn  to  the 


56     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

trooper's  accompaniment.  I  remember  only  that  it  was 
a  song  free  from  weak  sentimentality,  with  an  heroic 
undertone ;  but  it  stirred  me,  and  a  murmur  of  voices  rose 
from  the  shadows  outside.  Then  Foreman  Thorn  stood 
broad  hat  in  hand,  in  the  doorway. 

"  If  it  wouldn't  be  a  liberty,  miss,  the  boys  would  take 
it  as  an  honor  if  you  would  sing  that,  or  something  else, 
over  again.  They've  never  heard  nothing  like  it,  even 
down  to  Winnipeg,"  he  said. 

The  girl  blushed  a  little,  and  looked  at  me.  "  They 
were  kind  to  me.  Do  you  really  think  it  would  please 
them  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  If  it  doesn't  they  will  be  abominably  ungrateful ;  but 
although  we  are  not  conventional,  the  request  strikes 
me  as  a  liberty,"  I  said,  noticing  that  her  sister  did  not 
seem  wholly  pleased. 

"  Tell  them  I  will  do  my  best,"  was  the  answer,  and, 
after  a  conference  with  Cotton,  Lucille  Haldane  walked 
towards  the  open  door.  There  was  no  trace  of  vanity  or 
self-consciousness  in  her  bearing.  It  was  pure  kindli- 
ness which  prompted  her,  and  when  she  stood  outside  the 
building,  with  the  star-strewn  vault  above  her,  and  the 
prairie  silver-gray  at  her  feet,  bareheaded,  slight,  and 
willowy  in  her  thin  white  dress,  it  seemed  small  wonder 
that  the  dusty  men  who  clustered  about  the  wire  fence 
swung  down  their  broad  hats  to  do  her  homage. 

Perfect  stillness  succeeded,  save  for  sounds  made  by 
the  restless  cattle;  then  the  banjo  tinkled,  and  a  clear 
voice  rang  out  through  the  soft  transparency  of  the  sum- 
mer night :  "  All  day  long  the  reapers  !  " 

There  was  a  deep  murmur  when  the  last  tinkle  of  the 
banjo  sank  into  silence,  a  confused  hum  of  thanks,  and 
teamster  and  stock-rider  melted  away,  and  Lucille  Hal- 
dane, returning,  glanced  almost  apologetically  at  me. 

"  I  j.ust  felt  I  had  to  please  them,"  she  said.  "  Even 
if  you  older  people  smile,  I  am  proud  of  this  great  coun- 
try, and  it  seems  to  me  that  these  are  the  men  who  are 
making  it  what  it  will  some  day  be.  Don't  you  think 
that  we  who  live  idly  in  the  cities  owe  a  good  deal  to 
them?" 


A   SURPRISE    PARTY  57 

Haldane  laid  his  hand  caressingly  on  his  daughter's 
arm.  "  Impulsive  as  ever — but  perhaps  you  are  right," 
he  said.  "  In  any  case,  it  will  be  after  midnight  before 
we  get  home,  and  you  might  ask  for  our  team,  Ormesby." 

Every  man  about  Gaspard's  Trail  helped  to  haul  up 
the  wagon  and  harness  the  spirited  team,  while,  in  spite 
of  Cotton's  efforts,  Thorn  insisted  on  handing  my  young- 
est guest  into  the  vehicle ;  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty 
I  exchanged  parting  civilities  with  the  rest  as  the  vehicle 
rolled  away  amid  the  stockmen's  cheers. 


CHAPTER    VI 
A    HOLOCAUST 

IT  was  late  one  sultry  night  when  I  sat  moodily  beside 
an  open  window  in  my  house  at  Gaspard's  Trail.  I  had 
risen  before  the  sun  that  morning,  but,  though  tired  with 
a  long  day's  ride,  I  felt  restless  and  ill-disposed  to  sleep. 
Thomas  Steel,  whose  homestead  stood  some  leagues 
away,  lounged  close  by  with  his  unlighted  pipe  on  his 
knee  and  his  coarse  sun-faded  shirt  flung  open  showing 
his  bronzed  neck  and  the  paler  color  of  his  ample  chest. 
He  was  about  my  own  age  and  possessed  the  frame  of 
a  gladiator,  but  there  was  limp  dejection  in  his  atti- 
tude. 

"  It's  just  awful  weather,  but  there's  a  change  at 
hand,"  he  said.  "  It  will  be  too  late  for  some  of  us  when 
it  comes." 

I  merely  nodded,  and  glanced  out  through  the  window. 
Thick  darkness  brooded  over  the  prairie,  though  at  in- 
tervals a  flicker  of  sheet  lightning  blazed  along  the  hori- 
zon and  called  up  clumps  of  straggling  birches  out  of  the 
obscurity.  A  fitful  breeze  which  eddied  about  the  build- 
ing set  the  grasses  sighing,  but  it  was  without  coolness, 
and  laden  with  the  smell  of  burning.  Far-off  streaks  of 
crimson  shone  against  the  sky  in  token  that  grass-fires 
were  moving  down-wind  across  the  prairie.  They  would, 
however,  so  far  as  we  could  see,  hurt  nobody.  Steel 
fidgeted  nervously  until  I  began  to  wonder  what  was  the 
matter  with  him,  and  when  he  thrust  his  chair  backwards 
I  said  irritably :  "  For  heaven's  sake  sit  still.  You  look 
as  ill  at  ease  as  if  you  had  been  told  off  to  murder 
somebody." 

The  stalwart  farmer's  face  darkened.  "  I  feel  'most  as 
bad,  and  have  been  waiting  all  evening  to  get  the  trouble 
out,"  he  said.  "  Fact  is,  I'm  borrowing  money,  and  if 

58 


A    HOLOCAUST  59 

you  could  let  me  have  a  few  hundred  dollars  it  would 
mean  salvation." 

I  laughed  harshly  to  hide  my  dismay.  The  prairie  set- 
tlers stand  by  one  another  in  time  of  adversity,  and  in 
earlier  days  Steel  had  been  a  good  friend  to  me ;  but  the 
request  was  singularly  inopportune.  Two  bad  seasons 
had  followed  each  other,  when  the  whole  Dominion 
labored  under  a  commercial  depression;  and  though  my 
estate  was  worth  at  ordinary  values  a  considerable  sum, 
it  was  only  by  sacrificing  my  best  stock  I  could  raise 
money  enough  to  carry  it  on. 

"  If  I  get  anything  worth  mentioning  for  the  beasts 
I'll  do  my  utmost,  and  by  emptying  the  treasury  perhaps 
I  can  scrape  up  two  or  three  hundred  now.  What  do  you 
want  with  it?  "  I  said. 

"  I  thought  you  would  help  me,"  answered  Steel,  with 
a  gasp  of  relief.  "  I've  been  played  for  the  fool  I  am. 

I  got  a  nice  little  book  from  the  Company,  and  it 

showed  how  any  man  with  enterprise  could  get  ahead 
by  the  aid  of  borrowed  capital.  Then  its  representative 
— very  affable  man — came  along  and  talked  considerable. 
I  was  a  bit  hard  pressed,  and  the  end  was  that  he  lent  me 
money.  There  were  a  blame  lot  of  charges,  and  the 
money  seemed  to  melt  away,  while  now,  if  I  don't  pay 
up,  he'll  foreclose  on  me." 

I  clenched  my  right  hand  viciously,  for  the  man  who 
had  trapped  poor  Steel  had  also  a  hold  on  me,  and  I  began 
to  chc  •  "rowing  fear  of  the  genial  Lane. 

"  It's  getting  a  Common  story  around  here,"  I  said. 
"  That  man  seems  bent  on  absorbing  all  this  country,  but 
if  only  for  that  very  reason  we're  bound  to  help  each 
other  to  beat  him.  It  will  be  a  hard  pull,  but,  though  it 
all  depends  on  what  the  stock  fetch,  I'll  do  the  best 
I  can." 

Steel  was  profuse  in  his  thanks,  and  I  lapsed  into  a 
by  no  means  overpleasant  reverie.  So  some  time  passed 
until  a  glare  of  red  and  yellow  showed  up  against  the 
sky  where  none  had  been  before. 

"  Looks  like  a  mighty  big  fire.  There's  long  grass 
feeding  it,  and  it  has  just  rolled  over  a  ridge,"  said  Steel. 


60     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  Seems  to  me  somewhere  near  the  Indian  Spring  Bot- 
tom, but  Redmond  and  the  other  fellow  would  drive  the 
stock  well  clear." 

Flinging  my  chair  back  I  snatched  a  small  compass 
from  a  shelf,  laid  it  on  the  window-ledge,  and,  kneeling 
behind  it,  with  a  knife  blade  held  across  the  card  I  took 
the  bearings  of  the  flame.  "  It's  coming  right  down  on 
the  bottom,  and  though  by  this  time  the  stock  is  probably 
well  clear,  I'm  a  little  uneasy  about  it.  We'll  ride  over 
and  make  quite  sure,"  I  said. 

"  Of  course ! "  Steel  answered,  and  seemed  about  to 
add  something,  but  thought  better  of  it  and  followed  me 
towards  the  stable.  Thorn,  who  was  prompt  of  action, 
had  also  seen  the  fire,  for  he  was  already  busy  with  the 
horses ;  and  inside  of  five  minutes  we  were  sweeping  at  a 
gallop  across  the  prairie.  Save  for  the  intermittent  play 
of  lightning  the  darkness  was  Egyptian;  and  the  grass 
was  seamed  by  hollows  and  deadly  badger-holes ;  but  the 
broad  blaze  streamed  higher  for  a  beacon,  and,  risking 
a  broken  neck,  I  urged  on  the  mettled  beast  beneath  me. 
Grass  fires  are  common,  and  generally  are  harmless 
enough  in  our  country;  but  that  one  seemed  unusually 
fierce,  and  an  indefinite  dread  gained  on  me  as  the  miles 
rolled  behind  us. 

"  It's  the  worst  I've  seen  for  several  seasons.  Whole 
ridge  is  blazing,"  panted  Steel,  as,  with  a  great  crackling, 
we  swept  neck  and  neck  together  through  the  tall  grass 
of  a  slough  in  the  midst  of  which  Thorn's  horse  blundered 
horribly.  Then  we  dipped  into  a  ravine,  reeling  down 
the  slope  and  splashing  through  caked  mire  where  a 
little  water  had  been.  Every  moment  might  be  precious, 
and  turning  aside  for  nothing,  we  rode  straight  across  the 
prairie,  while  at  last  I  pressed  the  horse  fiercely  as  a  long 
rise  shut  out  the  blaze.  Once  we  gained  its  crest  the 
actual  conflagration  would  be  visible.  The  horse  was 
white  with  lather,  and  I  was  almost  blinded  with  sweat 
and  dust  when  we  gained  the  summit.  Drawing  bridle, 
I  caught  at  my  breath.  The  Sweetwater  ran  blood  red 
beneath  us,  and  the  whole  mile-wide  hollow  through 
which  it  flowed  was  filled  with  fire,  while  some  distance 


A   HOLOCAUST  61 

down  stream  on  the  farther  side  a  dusky  mass  was  dis- 
cernible through  the  rolling  smoke  which  blew  in  long 
wisps  in  that  direction.  It  seemed  as  though  a  cold  hand 
had  suddenly  been  laid  on  my  heart,  for  the  mass  moved, 
and  was  evidently  composed  of  close-packed  and  panic- 
stricken  beasts. 

"  It's  the  Gaspard  draft  held  up  by  the  wing  fence !  "  a 
voice  behind  me  rose  in  a  breathless  yell. 

I  smote  the  horse,  and  we  shot  down  the  declivity. 
How  the  beast  kept  its  footing  I  do  not  know,  for  there 
were  thickets  of  wild  berries  and  here  and  there  thin 
willows  to  be  smashed  through;  but  we  went  down  at  a 
mad  gallop,  the  clods  whirling  behind  us  and  the  wind 
screaming  past,  until  we  plunged  into  the  Sweetwater 
through  a  cloud  of  spray.  In  places  soft  mire  clogged 
the  sinking  hoofs,  in  others  slippery  shingle  rolled  be- 
neath them,  while  the  stream  seethed  whitely  to  the  girth  ; 
but  steaming,  panting,  dripping,  we  came  through,  and  I 
dashed,  half-blinded,  into  the  smoke.  A  confused  bel- 
lowing came  out  of  the  drifting  wreaths  ahead,  and  there 
was  a  mad  beat  of  hoofs  behind,  but  I  could  see  little 
save  the  odd  shafts  of  brightness  which  leaped  out  of  the 
vapor  as  I  raced  towards  the  fire.  Then  somebody  cried 
in  warning,  and  the  horse  reared  almost  upright  as — 
while  I  wrenched  upon  the  bridle — a  running  man  stag- 
gered out  of  the  smoke.  A  red  blaze  tossed  suddenly 
aloft  behind  him,  and  as  he  turned  the  brightness  smote 
upon  his  blackened  face.  It  was  set  and  savage,  and  the 
hair  was  singed  upon  his  forehead. 

"  It's  blue  ruin.  The  green  birches  are  burning,  and 
all  your  beasts  are  corraled  in  the  fence  wings,"  he 
gasped.  "  Fire  came  over  the  rise  without  warning,  in 
Redmond's  watch.  Somehow  he  got  the  rest  clear,  but 
your  lot  stampeded  and  the  wire  brought  them  up.  I'm 
off  to  the  shanty  for  an  ax — but  no  living  man  could  get 
them  out." 

Thorn  pulled  up  his  plunging  horse  as  the  other  spoke, 
and  for  a  few  seconds  I  struggled  with  the  limpness  of 
dismay.  Then  I  said  hoarsely :  "  If  the  flame  hasn't 
lapped  the  wings  yet,  we'll  try." 


62    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

By  this  time  the  horses  were  almost  in  a  state  of 
panic,  and  Thorn's  nearly  unseated  him,  but  we  urged 
them  into  the  vapor  towards  the  fence.  Fences  were 
scarce  in  our  district  then,  but  after  a  dispute  as  to  the 
grazing  I  had  shared  the  cost  of  that  one  with  another 
man,  partly  because  it  would  be  useful  when  sheep  wash- 
ing was  forward  and  would  serve  as  a  corral  when  we 
cut  out  shipping  stock.  It  consisted  of  only  two  wings 
at  right  angles — a  long  one  towards  the  summit  of  the 
rise,  and  another  parallel  to  the  river,  which  flowed  deep 
beneath  that  rotten  bank;  but  the  beasts  on  each  side 
would  seldom  leave  the  rich  grass  in  the  hollow  to 
wander  round  the  unclosed  end,  and  if  driven  into  the 
angle  two  riders  could  hold  the  open  mouth.  Now  I 
could  see  that  the  simple  contrivance  might  prove  a  ver- 
itable death-trap  to  every  beast  within  it. 

It  was  with  difficulty  we  reached  the  crest  of  the  rise, 
but  we  passed  the  wing  before  the  fire,  which  now  broke 
through  the  driving  vapor,  a  wavy  wall  of  crimson,  ap- 
parently two  fathoms  high,  closing  in  across  the  full 
breadth  of  the  hollow  at  no  great  pace,  but  with  a  re- 
lentless regularity.  Then,  I  rode  fiercely  towards  -the 
angle  or  junction  of  the  wires  where  the  beasts  were 
bunched  together  as  in  the  pocket  of  a  net.  Thorn  and 
Steel  came  up  a  few  seconds  later. 

The  outside  cattle  were  circling  round  and  jostling 
each  other,  thrusting  upon  those  before  them ;  the  inside 
of  the  mass  was  as  compact  as  if  rammed  together  by 
hydraulic  pressure,  and,  to  judge  by  the  bellowing,  those 
against  the  fence  were  being  rent  by  the  barbs  or  slowly 
crushed  to  death.  Our  cattle  wander  at  large  across  the 
prairie  and  exhibit  few  characteristics  of  domestic  beasts. 
Indeed,  they  are  at  times  almost  dangerous  to  handle,  and 
when  stampeded  in  a  panic  a  squadron  of  cavalry  would 
hardly  turn  them.  Yet  the  loss  of  this  draft  boded  ruin 
to  me,  and  it  was  just  possible  that  if  we  could  separate 
one  or  two  animals  from  the  rest  and  drive  them  towards 
the  end  of  the  fence  the  others  might  follow.  The  mouth 
of  the  net  might  remain  open  for  a  few  minutes  yet. 

"  I  guess  it's  hopeless,  but  we've  just  got  to  try,"  said 


A   HOLOCAUST  63 

Thorn,  who  understood  what  was  in  my  mind.  "  Start 
in  with  that  big  one.  There's  not  a  second  to  lose." 

Steel,  leaning  down  from  the  saddle,  drove  his  knife- 
point into  the  rump  of  one  beast,  and  when  it  wheeled  I 
thrust  my  horse  between  it  and  the  herd  and  smote  it 
upon  the  nostrils  with  my  clenched  fist,  uselessly.  The 
terrified  creature  headed  round  again,  jamming  me 
against  its  companions,  and  when  my  horse  backed  clear, 
one  of  my  legs  felt  as  though  it  were  broken.  This, 
however,  was  no  time  to  trouble  about  minor  injuries  or 
be  particular  on  the  score  of  humanity ;  and  while  Thorn 
endeavored  to  effect  a  diversion  by  twisting  one  beast's 
tail  I  pricked  another  savagely.  It  wheeled  when  it  felt 
the  pain,  and  when  it  turned  again  with  gleaming  horns 
and  lowered  head  Steel  pushed  recklessly  into  the  open- 
ing. Then  a  thick  wisp  of  smoke  filled  my  eyes,  and  I 
did  not  see  how  it  happened,  but  man  and  horse  had 
gone  down  together  when  the  vapor  thinned,  and  the  vic- 
torious animal  was  once  more  adding  its  weight  to  the 
pressure  on  the  rear  of  the  surging  mass. 

Steel  was  up  next  moment,  struggling  with  his  horse, 
which,  with  bared  teeth,  was  backing  away  from  him  at 
full  length  of  its  bridle ;  but,  answering  my  shout,  he  said 
breathlessly :  "  I  don't  know  whether  half  my  bones  are 
cracked  or  not,  but  they  feel  very  much  like  it.  It's  no 
good,  Ormesby.  We'll  have  to  cut  the  fence  from  the 
other  side,  and  if  we  fool  here  any  longer  we'll  lose  the 
horses,  too." 

I  saw  there  was  truth  in  this,  and  almost  doubted  if 
we  could  clear  the  fence  wing  now.  It  was  at  least  cer- 
tain that  nothing  we  could  do  there  would  extricate  the 
terrified  beasts;  and  when  Steel  got  himself  into  the 
saddle  we  started  again  at  a  gallop.  There  was  less 
smoke,  and  what  there  was  towered  vertically  in  a  lull  of 
the  breeze;  but  the  crackling  flame  tossed  higher  and 
higher.  For  a  moment  I  fancied  it  had  cut  us  off  within 
the  fence,  which  would  have  made  a  dangerous  leap ;  but 
though  the  terrified  horses  were  almost  beyond  guidance, 
fear  lent  them  speed,  and  with  very  little  room  to  spare 
Steel  and  I  shot  round  the  end  of  the  wire. 


64     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  Look  out  for  the  setting-up  post  nearest  the  corner, 
and  slack  the  turn-screws  until  the  wire  goes  down,  while 
I  try  to  cut  the  strand  close  in  to  the  herd !  "  I  roared. 
"Is  Thorn  behind  you?" 

"  No,"  the  answer  came  back.  "  Good  Lord !  we've 
left  him  inside  the  fence !  " 

I  managed  to  pull  my  horse  up,  when  a  glance  showed 
me  the  foreman's  stalwart  figure  silhouetted  against  the 
crimson  flame  as  he  strove  to  master  his  plunging  horse. 
It  was  evident  that  the  horse  had  refused  to  face  the  fire, 
which  now  rolled  right  up  the  wings  of  the  fence. 

"  Come  down  and  let  him  go !  You  can  either  climb 
the  wires  or  crawl  under  them ! "  I  shouted,  wondering 
whether  the  crackling  of  the  flame  drowned  my  husky 
voice. 

"  This  horse  is  worth  three  hundred  dollars,  and  he's 
either  going  through  or  over,"  the  answer  came  back; 
and  I  shouted  in  warning,  for  it  appeared  impossible  to 
clear  that  fence,  though  the  beast,  which  was  not  of 
common  bronco  stock,  had  good  imported  blood  in  him. 
Then  there  was  a  yell  from  the  foreman  as  he  recklessly 
shot  forward  straight  at  the  fence.  The  horse  was 
ready  to  face  anything  so  long  as  he  could  keep  the  fire 
behind  him,  and  I  held  my  breath  as  he  rose  at  the  wire. 
Our  horses  are  not  good  jumpers,  and  the  result  seemed 
certain.  His  knees  struck  the  topmost  wire;  there  was 
a  heavy  crash;  and  the  man,  shooting  forward  as  from 
a  catapult,  alighted  with  a  sickening  thud,  while  the  poor 
brute  rolled  over  and  lay  still  on  the  wrong  side  of  the 
fence.  Thorn  rose,  but  very  shakily,  and  I  was  thankful 
I  had  lost  only  some  three  hundred  dollars,  which  I  could 
very  badly  spare. 

"  Nothing  given  out  this  trip/'  he  spluttered.  "  I've 
dropped  my  knife,  though.  Go  on  and  try  the  cutting. 
I'll  follow  when  I  can." 

In  another  few  moments  I  dismounted  abreast  of  the 
angle,  and  hitched  the  bridle  round  a  strand  of  the  wire, 
knowing  that  the  possibility  of  getting  away  almost  in- 
stantaneously when  my  work  was  done  might  make  all 


A    HOLOCAUST  65 

the  difference  between  life  and  death.  The  fence  was 
tall,  built  of  stout  barbed  wire  strained  to  a  few  screw 
standards  and  stapled  to  thick  birch  posts.  I  had  neither 
ax  nor  nippers,  only  a  long-bladed  knife,  and  densely 
packed  beasts  were  wedging  themselves  tighter  and 
tighter  against  the  other  side  of  the  barrier.  Already 
some  had  fallen  and  been  trampled  out  of  existence, 
while  others  seemed  horribly  mangled  and  torn.  The 
man  who  had  gone  for  an  ax  had  not  reappeared,  and  I 
regretted  I  had  not  bidden  him  take  one  of  our  horses, 
for  the  shanty  was  some  distance  away. 

Slashing  through  the  laces  I  dragged  off  one  boot.  Its 
heel  was  heavy  and  might  serve  for  a  mallet,  and  holding 
the  blade  of  my  knife  on  the  top  strand  close  against  a 
post,  I  smote  it  furiously.  The  wire  was  not  nicked  half 
through  when  it  burst  beneath  the  pressure,  and  a  barb 
on  its  flying  end  scored  my  face  so  that  the  blood  trickled 
into  my  mouth  and  eyes ;  but  the  next  wire  was  of  treble 
twist,  and  as  I  struck  and  choked  I  regretted  the  thor- 
oughness with  which  we  had  built  the  fence.  The  knife 
chipped  under  the  blows  I  rained  upon  it,  and  when  I 
shortened  the  blade  its  end  snapped  off.  In  a  fit  of  des- 
peration I  seized  the  lacerating  wires  with  my  naked 
fingers  and  tore  at  them  frenziedly,  but  what  the  pressure 
on  the  other  side  failed  to  accomplish  the  strength  of 
twenty  men  might  not  do,  so  when  in  a  few  seconds 
reason  returned  to  me  I  picked  up  what  remained  of  the 
knife  and  set  to  work  again.  There  was  still  no  sign  of 
Thorn,  and  as  the  wires  did  not  slacken  it  was  plain  that 
Steel  had  failed  to  loose  the  straining  screws  without 
convenient  tools.  Three  slender  cords  of  steel  alone  pent 
in  the  stock  that  were  to  set  me  free  of  debt,  but  I  had 
no  implements  with  which  to  break  them,  so  they  also 
held  me  fast  to  be  dragged  down  helpless  to  beggary. 

At  last  the  wire  I  struck  at  bent  outward  further,  and 
when  I  next  brought  the  boot  heel  down  there  was  a 
metallic  ringing  as  one  strand  parted,  and  I  shouted  in 
breathless  triumph,  knowing  the  other  must  follow.  The 
fire  was  close  behind  the  pent-up  herd  now,  and  I  guessed 


66     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

that  very  shortly  my  life  would  depend  on  my  horse's 
speed.  Just  then  Steel  dashed  up,  mounted,  shouting: 
"  Into  the  saddle  with  you.  The  fence  is  going ! " 

I  saw  him  unhitch  my  horse's  bridle  and  struggle  to 
hold  the  beast  ready  between  himself  and  me,  but  I 
meant  to  make  quite  certain  of  my  part,  so  I  brought 
the  boot  heel  down  thrice  again.  Then  I  leaped  back- 
ward, clutched  at  the  bridle,  and  scrambled  to  the  sad- 
dle as  a  black  mass  rolled  out  of  the  gap  where  the  wire 
flew  back.  I  remember  desperately  endeavoring  to  head 
the  horse  clear  of  it  along  the  fence,  and  wondering  how 
many  of  the  cattle  would  fall  over  the  remaining  wires 
and  be  crushed  before  their  carcasses  formed  a  cause- 
way for  the  rest;  but  the  horse  was  past  all  guidance; 
and  now  that  the  fence  had  lost  its  continuity  more 
fathoms  of  it  went  down  and  the  dusky  mass  poured 
over  it.  Then  something  struck  me  with  a  heavy  shock, 
the  horse  stumbled  as  I  slipped  my  feet  out  of  the  stir- 
rups, and  we  went  down  together.  I  saw  nothing  fur- 
ther, though  I  could  feel  the  earth  tremble  beneath  me; 
then  this  sensation  faded,  and  I  was  conscious  of  only 
a  numbing  pain  beneath  my  neck  and  my  left  arm 
causing  me  agony.  After  this  there  followed  a  space 
of  empty  blackness. 

When  I  partly  recovered  my  faculties  the  pain  was  less 
intense,  though  my  left  arm,  which  was  tied  to  my  side, 
felt  hot  and  heavy,  and  the  jolting  motion  convinced  me 
that  I  lay  in  the  bottom  of  a  wagon. 

"  Did  you  get  the  stock  clear?"  I  gasped,  striving  to 
raise  my  head  from  the  hay  truss  in  which  it  was  almost 
buried;  and  somebody  who  stooped  down  held  a  bottle 
to  my  lips. 

"  Don't  you  tell  him,"  a  subdued  voice  said,  and  the 
man,  who  I  think  was  Steel,  came  near  choking  me  as 
he  poured  more  spirit  than  I  could  swallow  down  my 
throat  and  also  down  my  neck. 

"That's  all  right.  Don't  worry.  We're  mighty 
thankful  we  got  you,"  he  said. 

Then  the  empty  blackness  closed  in  on  me  again,  and 


A   HOLOCAUST  67 

I  lay  still,  wondering  whether  I  were  dead  and  buried, 
and  if  so,  why  the  pricking  between  shoulder  and  breast 
should  continue  so  pitilessly;  until  that  ceased  in  turn, 
and  I  had  a  hazy  idea  that  someone  was  carrying  me 
through  an  interminable  cavern;  after  which  there  suc- 
ceeded complete  oblivion. 


CHAPTER  VII 
A   BITTER   AWAKENING 

THE  first  day  on  which  my  attendants  would  treat  me 
as  a  rational  being  was  a  memorable  one  to  me.  It 
must  have  been  late  in  the  morning  when  I  opened  my 
eyes,  for  the  sun  had  risen  above  the  level  of  the  open 
window,  and  I  lay  still  blinking  out  across  the  prairie 
with,  at  first,  a  curious  satisfaction.  I  had  cheated 
death  and  been  called  back  out  of  the  darkness  to  sun- 
light and  life,  it  seemed.  Then  I  began  to  remember, 
and  the  pain  in  the  arm  bound  fast  to  my  side  helped 
to  remind  me  that  life  implied  a  struggle.  Raising  my 
head,  I  noticed  that  there  had  been  changes  made  in  my 
room,  and  a  young  woman  standing  by  the  window 
frowned  at  me. 

"  I  guess  all  men  are  worrying,  but  you're  about  the 
worst  I  ever  struck,  Rancher  Ormesby.  Just  you  lie 
back  till  I  fix  you,  or  I'll  call  the  boys  in  to  tie  you  fast 
with  a  girth." 

She  was  a  tall,  fair,  well-favored  damsel,  with  a  ruddy 
countenance  and  somewhat  bold  eyes;  but  I  was  disap- 
pointed when  I  saw  her  clearly,  even  though  her  laugh 
was  heartsome  when  I  answered  humbly :  "  I  will  try 
not  to  trouble  you  if  you  don't  mean  to  starve  me." 

Miss  Sally  Steel,  for  it  was  my  neighbor's  sister, 
shouted  to  somebody  through  the  window,  and  then 
turned  to  the  man  who  rose  from  a  corner.  "  You  just 
stay  right  where  you  are.  When  I  call  cookie  I'll  see 
he  comes.  I've  been  running  this  place  as  it  ought  to 
be  run,  and  you  won't  know  Gaspard's  when  you  get 
about,  Rancher  Ormesby." 

The  man  laughed,  and  I  saw  it  was  Thorn,  though  I 
did  not  know  then  that  after  doing  my  work  and  his 
own  during  the  day  he  had  watched  the  greater  part  of 
every  night  beside  me. 


A    BITTER    AWAKENING  69 

"  Feeling  pretty  fit  this  morning  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Comparatively  so,"  I  answered.  "  I  should  feel 
better  if  I  knew  just  what  happened  to  me  and  to  the 
stock.  You  might  tell  me,  beginning  from  the  time  the 
fence  went  down." 

"  If  he  does  there'll  be  trouble,"  broke  in  Miss  Steel, 
who,  I  soon  discovered,  had  constituted  herself  auto- 
cratic mistress  of  Gaspard's  Trail.  "  He  must  wait  until 
you  have  had  breakfast,  anyway."  And  I  saw  the  cook 
stroll  very  leisurely  towards  the  window  carrying  a  tray. 

"  Was  anybody  calling  ?  "  he  commenced,  with  the  ex- 
asperating slowness  he  could  at  times  assume ;  and  then, 
catching  sight  of  me,  would  have  clambered  in  over  the 
low  window-sill  but  that  Miss  Steel  stopped  him. 

"  Anybody  calling !  I  should  think  there  was — and 
when  I  want  people  they'll  come  right  along,"  she  said. 
"  No ;  you  can  stop  out  there — isn't  all  the  prairie  big 
enough  for  you?  There'll  be  some  tone  about  this  place 
before  I'm  through,"  and  the  cook  grinned  broadly  as 
he  caught  my  eye. 

Miss  Steel's  voice  was  not  unpleasant,  though  it  had 
a  strident  ring,  and  her  face  was  gentle  as  she  raised  me 
on  a  heap  of  folded  blankets  with  no  great  effort,  though 
I  was  never  a  very  light  weight,  after  which,  between 
my  desire  to  please  her  and  a  returning  appetite,  I  made 
a  creditable  meal. 

"  That's  a  long  way  better,"  she  said  approvingly. 
'  Tom  brought  a  fool  doctor  over  from  Calgary,  who 
said  you'd  got  your  brain  mixed  and  a  concussion  of  the 
head.  '  Fix  up  his  bones  and  don't  worry  about  any- 
thing else/  I  said.  '  It  would  take  a  steam  hammer  to 
make  any  concussion  worth  talking  of  on  Rancher 
Ormesby's  head.' ': 

"  Thorn  has  not  answered  my  question,"  I  interrupted ; 
and  Miss  Steel  flashed  a  glance  at  the  foreman,  who 
seemed  to  hesitate  before  he  answered.  "  It  happened 
this  way :  You  were  a  trifle  late  lighting  out  when  you'd 
cut  the  fence.  Steel  said  one  of  the  beasts  charged  you, 
and  after  that  more  of  them  stampeded  right  over  you. 
The  horse  must  have  kept  some  of  them  off,  for  he  was 


70     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

stamped  out  pretty  flat,  and  it  was  a  relief  to  hear  you 
growling  at  something  when  we  got  you  out." 

"How  did  you  get  me  out?"  I  asked,  and  Thorn 
fidgeted  before  he  answered :  "  It  wasn't  worth  men- 
tioning, but  between  us  Steel  and  I  managed  to  split  the 
rush,  and  the  beasts  went  by  on  each  side  of  us." 

"  At  the  risk  of  being  stamped  flat,  too !  I  might  have 
expected  it  of  you  and  Steel,"  I  said;  and  the  girl's  eyes 
sparkled  as  she  turned  to  the  foreman. 

"  Then  Steel  went  back  for  the  wagon  after  we  found 
you  had  an  arm  and  a  collarbone  broken.  I  rode  in  to 
the  railroad  and  wired  for  a  doctor.  Sally  came  over  to 
nurse  you,  and  a  pretty  tough  time  she  has  had  of  it. 
You  had  fever  mighty  bad." 

"  There's  no  use  in  saying  I'm  obliged  to  both  of  you, 
because  you  know  it  well,"  I  made  shift  to  answer;  and 
Sally  Steel  stroked  the  hair  back  from  my  forehead  in 
sisterly  fashion  as  she  smiled  at  Thorn.  "  But  what 
about  the  stock  ?  Did  they  all  get  through  ?  " 

Thorn's  honest  face  clouded,  and  Sally  Steel  laid  her 
plump  hand  on  my  mouth.  "  You're  not  going  to  worry 
about  that.  A  herd  of  cattle  stampeded  over  you  and 
you're  still  alive.  Isn't  that  good  enough  for  you  ?  " 

I  moved  my  head  aside.  "  I  shall  worry  until  I  know 
the  truth.  All  the  beasts  could  not  have  got  out.  How 
many  did  ?  "  I  asked. 

Thorn  looked  at  Sally,  then  sideways  at  me,  and  I 
held  my  breath  until  the  girl  said  softly :  "  You  had 
better  tell  him." 

"  Very  few,"  said  the  foreman ;  and  I  hoped  that  my 
face  was  as  expressionless  as  I  tried  to  make  it  when  I 
heard  the  count.  "  Some  of  those  near  the  fence  got 
clear,  and  some  didn't.  Steel  had  grubbed  up  a  post, 
and  when  the  wires  slacked  part  of  the  rest  got  tangled 
up  and  went  down,  choking  the  gap.  It  was  worse  than 
a  Chicago  slaughter-house  when  the  fire  rolled  up." 

"  The  horses,  too  ?  How  long  have  I  been  ill,  and 
has  any  rain  fallen  ?  "  I  asked,  with  the  strange  steadi- 
ness that  sometimes  follows  a  crushing  blow,  and  Thorn 
moodily  shook  his  head. 


A    BITTER    AWAKENING  71 

"  Both  horses  done  for.  You've  been  ill  'bout  two 
weeks,  I  think.  No  rain  worth  mentioning — and  the 
crop  is  clean  wiped  out." 

There  was  silence  for  some  minutes,  and  Sally  Steel 
patted  my  uninjured  shoulder  sympathetically.  Then  I 
pointed  to  a  litter  of  papers  on  the  table,  and  inquired 
if  there  were  any  letters  in  Lane's  writing.  Thorn 
handed  me  one  reluctantly,  and  it  was  hard  to  refrain 
from  fierce  exclamation  as  I  read  the  laconic  missive. 
Lane  regretted  to  hear  of  my  accident,  but  the  scarcity 
of  money  rendered  it  necessary  to  advise  me  that  as  I 
had  not  formally  accepted  his  terms,  repayment  of  the 
loan  was  overdue,  and  he  would  be  obliged  to  realize 
unless  I  were  willing  to  pledge  Crane  Valley  or  renew 
the  arrangement  at  an  extra  five  per  cent,  on  the  terms 
last  mentioned. 

"Bad  news?"  said  Sally.  "Then  I  guess  Thorn 
sha'n't  worry  you  any  more;  but  it's  just  when  things 
look  worst  the  turn  comes.  That  team  will  be  bolting 
soon,  Thorn.  I'll  sit  right  back  in  the  corner,  and  until 
you  want  to  talk  to  me  you  can  forget  I'm  there." 

The  high-pitched  voice  sank  to  a  gentler  tone,  and  I 
felt  grateful  to  Sally  Steel.  Her  reckless  vagaries  often 
formed  a  theme  for  laughter  when  the  inhabitants  of  the 
prairie  foregathered  at  settlement  or  store ;  but  there  was 
a  depth  of  good-nature,  as  well  as  an  overdaring  love 
of  mischief  in  her,  and  not  infrequently  a  blessing  ac- 
companied the  jest.  Thorn  was  moving  towards  the 
door  when,  recollecting  another  point,  I  beckoned  him. 

"  How  was  it  that  when  they  had,  or  should  have  had, 
time  enough,  Henderson's  man  and  Redmond  did  not 
stop  the  cattle  bunching  in  the  fence?  It's  very  unlike 
our  ways  if  they  made  no  effort  to  save  my  beasts  as 
well  as  their  own  masters'  property,"  I  said. 

Foreman  Thorn  looked  troubled,  and  I  saw  that  Sally 
was  watching  him  keenly.  "I  don't  understand  it 
rightly,  and  I  guess  no  man  ever  will,"  he  said.  "  Of 
course,  we  struck  Henderson's  Jo  with  just  that  ques- 
tion, and  this  is  what  he  made  of  it.  He  and  Redmond 
were  camping  in  Torkill's  deserted  sod-house,  and  when 


72     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

they  saw  the  fires  were  bad  that  night,  Redmond  said 
he'd  ride  round  the  cattle.  Their  own  lot  was  pretty 
well  out  of  harm's  way,  east  of  the  fence,  but  Jo  told 
him  to  take  a  look  at  yours.  Redmond  started,  and,  as 
Jo  knew  that  he'd  be  called  if  he  were  wanted,  he  went 
off  to  sleep." 

;<  That  does  not  explain  much,"  I  interjected,  when 
Thorn  halted,  rubbing  his  head  as  though  in  search  of 
inspiration. 

;<  There  isn't  an  explanation.  Jo,  waking  later,  saw 
the  fire  coming  right  down  the  hollow  and  started  on 
foot  for  the  fence.  There  was  no  sign  of  Redmond  any- 
where. Jo  couldn't  get  the  stock  out,  and  he  couldn't 
cut  the  fence,  and  he  was  going  back  for  an  ax  when 
we  met  him.  You  know  all  the  rest — 'cept  this.  Steel 
and  I  were  standing  over  you,  and  the  fire  was  roasting 
the  beasts  mixed  up  in  the  fence,  when  Redmond  comes 
along.  The  way  he  stood,  the  flame  shone  right  on  his 
face.  It  seemed  twisted,  and  the  man  looked  like  a 
ghost.  He  stood  there  blinking  at  the  beasts — and  it 
wasn't  a  pretty  sight — then  shook  all  over  as  he  stooped 
down  and  looked  at  you.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
blood  about  you  from  the  horse. 

'  What  the  devil's  wrong  with  you  ?  Stiffen  yourself 
up ! '  says  Steel ;  and  Redmond's  voice  cracked  in  the 
middle  as  he  answered  him :  '  I'm  feeling  mighty  sick. 
Is  he  dead?' 

'  Looks  pretty  near  it.  If  you'd  seen  those  beasts 
clear  he  mightn't  have  come  to  this.  Here,  take  a  drink. 
We'll  want  you  presently/  says  Steel,  and  went  on 
strapping  you  together  with  a  girth  and  bridle,  while  I 
watched  Redmond  with  one  eye.  As  you  know,  there 
was  never  much  grit  in  the  creature,  and  he  had  another 
shivering  fit. 

"Get  out  until  you're  feeling  better.  That  kind  of 
thing's  catching,  and  we've  lots  to  do/  I  said;  and  he 
laughs  with  a  cackle  like  an  hysterical  woman,  and 
blinks  straight  past  me.  Steel  and  I  figured  he'd  got 
hold  of  some  smuggled  whisky  and  been  drinking  bad, 
but  afterwards  Henderson's  Jo  said  no. 


A    BITTER    AWAKENING  73 

"  '  It's  murder.  My  God !  It's  horrible — an'  he  never 
done  anyone  no  harm/  he  says,  and  falls  to  cussing 
somebody  quietly.  I  can  talk  pretty  straight  when  I'm 
hot  myself,  but  that  was  ice-cold  swearing  with  venom 
in  it,  and  when  he  got  on  to  Judas,  with  the  devil  in  his 
eyes,  I  ripped  up  a  big  sod  and  plugged  him  on  the  head 
with  it. 

"  '  If  you  don't  let  up  or  quit  I'll  pound  the  life  out  of 
you,'  says  Steel. 

"  Well,  we  got  you  fixed  so  you  couldn't  make  the 
damage  worse,  and  when  Steel  went  for  the  wagon  and 
I  looked  around  for  Redmond  he  was  gone.  Don't  know 
what  to  think  of  it,  anyway,  'cept  his  troubles  or  bad 
whisky  had  turned  his  head.  You  see  he  was  never  far 
from  crazy." 

"  Why  didn't  one  of  you  get  hold  of  him  and  make 
him  talk  next  day  ? "  I  asked ;  and  Thorn  looked  at  me 
curiously. 

"  Becaues  he'd  gone.  Lit  out  to  nobody  knows  where 
and  stopped  there.  I  don't  know  just  what  to  think, 
myself." 

Sally  took  Thorn  by  the  shoulders  and  thrust  him  out, 
but  he  left  me  with  sufficient,  and  unpleasant,  food  for 
reflection.  The  stock  I  had  counted  on  were  gone. 
Also,  when  it  was  above  all  things  desirable  that  I 
should  be  up  and  doing,  I  must  lie  still  for  weeks,  use- 
less as  a  log.  One  thing  at  least  I  saw  clearly,  and  that 
was  the  usurer's  purpose  to  absorb  my  property;  and 
as  I  lay  with  throbbing  forehead  and  tight-clenched 
fingers,  which  had  grown  strangely  white,  I  determined 
that  he  should  have  cause  to  remember  the  struggle 
before  he  accomplished  it.  That  Redmond  had  been 
driven  by  him  into  shameful  treachery  appeared  too  prob- 
able, though  there  was  no  definite  proof  of  it,  and  the 
thought  stiffened  my  resolution.  My  scattered  neigh- 
bors, patient  as  they  were,  were  ill  to  coerce  and  would 
doubtless  join  me  in  an  effort  before  the  schemer's 
machinations  left  us  homeless. 

Then  I  could  hardly  check  a  groan  as  I  remembered 
all  that  the  brief  glimpses  of  a  brighter  life  at  Bona- 


74     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

venture  had  suggested.  A  few  months  earlier  it  had 
appeared  possible  that  with  one  or  two  more  good  sea- 
sons I  might  even  have  attained  to  it;  but  since  then  a 
gulf  had  opened  between  Beatrice  Haldane  and  me,  and 
the  best  I  could  hope  for  was  a  resumption  of  what  now 
seemed  hopeless  drudgery.  It  was  a  bitter  awakening, 
and  I  almost  regretted  that  Steel  and  Foreman  Thorn 
had  not  been  a  few  seconds  later  when  the  fence  went 
down.  An  hour  passed,  and  Sally  Steel,  bringing  a 
chair  over  to  my  side,  offered  to  read  to  me  what  she 
said  was  a  real  smart  shadowing  story.  I  glanced  at 
the  invincible  detective  standing  amid  a  scene  of  blood- 
shed, depicted  on  the  cover  of  the  journal  she  held  up, 
and  declined  with  due  civility. 

"  I  am  afraid  my  nerves  are  not  good  enough.  I 
should  sooner  you  talked  to  me,  Sally,"  I  said. 

She  laughed  coquettishly,  and  there  was  no  doubt  that 
Steel's  sister  was  handsome,  as  women  on  that  part  of 
the  prairie  go.  Sun  and  wind  had  ripened  the  color  in 
her  face,  her  teeth  were  white  as  ivory,  her  lips  full  and 
red,  and  perhaps  most  men  would  have  found  pleasure 
watching  the  sparkle  of  mischief  that  danced  in  her  eyes 
as  she  answered  demurely:  "That  would  be  just  too 
nice.  What  shall  we  talk  about  ?  " 

"  You  might  tell  me  who  was  the  first  to  come  ask 
about  me,"  I  said. 

The  girl  stretched  out  one  plump  arm  with  a  compre- 
hensive gesture.  "  They  all  came,  bringing  things  along, 
most  of  them.  Even  the  little  Icelander;  he  loaded  up 
his  wagon  with  a  keg  of  herrings — said  they  were  best 
raw — and  lumps  of  grindstone  bread.  Oh,  yes;  they  all 
came,  and  I  was  glad  to  see  them,  'cept  when  some  of 
their  wives  came  with  them." 

"  They  are  kind  people  in  this  country ;  but  how  could 
the  women  worry  you?  In  any  case,  I  think  you  would 
be  equal  to  them,"  I  commented;  and,  somewhat  to  my 
surprise,  the  girl  first  blushed,  and  then  looked  positively 
wicked, 
v  "  They — well,  they  would  ask  questions,  and  said 


A    BITTER    AWAKENING  75 

things,  when  they  found  Tom  was  down  to  Brandon," 
she  answered  enigmatically.  "  Still,  I  guess  I  was  equal 
to  most  of  them.  '  Rancher  Ormesby's  not  sending  the 
hat  round  yet,  and  that  truck  is  not  fit  for  any  sick  man 
to  eat  when  it's  just  about  half-cooked/  I  said.  '  You 
can  either  take  it  back  or  leave  it  for  Thorn  to  worry 
with.  Fresh  rocks  wouldn't  hurt  his  digestion.  Just 
now  I'm  way  too  busy  to  answer  conundrums/  ' 

Sally  seemed  glad  to  abandon  that  topic,  and  did  not 
look  quite  pleased  when  I  hazarded  another  question, 
with  suppressed  interest,  but  as  carelessly  as  I  could: 
"  Did  anybody  else  drive  over  ?  " 

The  girl  laughed  a  trifle  maliciously,  and  yet  with  a 
certain  enjoyment.  "  Oh,  yes.  One  day,  when  I  was 
too  busy  for  anything,  the  people  from  Bonaventure 
drove  over,  and  wanted  to  take  you  back.  I  don't  know 
why,  but  the  way  Haldane's  elder  daughter  looked  about 
the  place  just  got  my  back  up.  '  You  can't  have  him. 
This  is  where  he  belongs,'  I  said. 

"  '  But  he  is  ill,  and  this  place  is  hardly  fit  for  him. 
There  are  no  comforts,  and  we  could  take  better  care 
of  him,'  said  the  younger  one,  and  I  turned  round  to  her. 
'  That's  just  where  you're  wrong.  Rancher  Ormesby 
has  lived  here  for  eight  years,  and  when  he's  sick  he 
has  plenty  friends  of  his  own  kind  to  take  care  of  him. 
I'm  one  of  them,  and  we  don't  dump  our  sick  people  on 
to  strangers,'  I  said. 

"  The  elder  one  she  straightens  herself  a  little,  as 
though  she  didn't  like  my  talk.  '  He  could  not  be  as 
comfortable  as  he  would  be  at  Bonaventure,  which  is  the 
most  important  thing.  We  will  ask  the  doctor;  and 
have  you  any  right  to  place  obstacles  in  the  way  of  Mr. 
Ormesby's  recovery  ? '  says  she,  and  that  was  enough 
for  me. 

" '  I've  all  the  right  I  want/  I  answered.  *  I'm  run- 
ning Gaspard's  Trail,  and  if  you  can  find  a  man  about 
the  place  who  won't  jump  when  I  want  him,  you  needn't 
believe  me.  That  makes  me  a  busy  woman — see? — so 
I'll  not  keep  you.  Go  back  to  Bonaventure,  and  don't 


76    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

come  worrying  the  people  he  belongs  to  about  Rancher 
Ormesby/ " 

I  groaned  inwardly,  and  only  by  an  effort  concealed 
my  blank  consternation.  "What  did  they  say  next?" 
I  asked. 

"  Nothing  much.  The  younger  one — and  I  was  half 
sorry  I'd  spoken  straight  to  her — opened  her  eyes  wide. 
The  elder  one  she  looks  at  me  in  a  way  that  made  me 
feel  fit  to  choke  her,  while  Haldane  made  a  little  bow. 
'  I  have  no  doubt  he  is  in  capable  hands,  and  we  need 
not  trouble  you  further.  No,  I  don't  think  you  need 
mention  that  we  called/  says  he." 

Sally  tossed  her  head  with  an  air  of  triumph  as  she 
concluded,  and  I  lay  very  still,  for  it  was  too  late  to 
pray  for  deliverance  from  my  friends,  though  of  all  the 
rude  succession  this  was  about  the  most  cruel  blow. 
What  mischievous  fiend  had  prompted  the  quick-tem- 
pered girl  to  turn  upon  the  Haldanes  I  could  never  sur- 
mise, but  jealousy  might  have  had  something  to  do  with 
it,  for  Trooper  Cotton  had  once  been  a  favorite  of  hers. 
In  any  case,  the  result  appeared  disastrous,  for,  while  I 
believed  her  no  more  than  thoughtless,  there  was  no  dis- 
guising the  fact  that  some  of  the  settlers'  less-favored 
daughters  spoke  evil  of  Sally  Steel,  and  I  feared  their 
stories  had  reached  Bonaventure. 

When  five  minutes  or  so  had  passed  she  looked  at  me 
somewhat  shyly.  '  You're  not  mad?  "  she  said. 

"  I  could  hardly  be  vexed  with  you,  whatever  hap- 
pened, after  all  you  have  done  for  me.  I  was  only 
thinking,"  I  made  shift  to  answer.  "  Still,  you  might 
have  been  a  little  more  civil,  Sally/" 

For  a  moment  or  two  the  girl  appeared  almost  peni- 
tent; then  she  bent  her  head  towards  my  own,  and 
again  the  mischief  crept  into  her  eyes. 

"  I'd  have  brought  them  in  to  a  banquet,  if  I  had  only 
guessed,"  she  said;  and  with  a  thrill  of  laughter  she 
slipped  out  of  the  room.  It  was  with  sincere  relief  I 
saw  her  go,  for  I  was  in  no  mood  for  the  somewhat 
pointed  prairie  banter,  and  felt  that,  in  spite  of  her  mani- 


A    BITTER    AWAKENING  77 

fold  kindnesses,  I  could  almost  have  shaken  Sally  Steel. 
Then  I  turned  my  head  from  the  light,  remembering  I 
was  not  only  a  ruined  man  without  even  power  to  move, 
but  had  left  a  discordant  memory  with  the  friends  whose 
good  opinion  I  most  valued,  and  whom  now  I  might 
never  again  meet  on  the  old  terms. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
HOW  REDMOND   CAME  HOME 

THE  weather  continued  pitilessly  hot  and  dry,  when,  one 
afternoon,  Trooper  Cotton,  returning  from  a  tour  of 
fireguard  inspection,  sat  near  the  window-seat  in  which 
I  lay  at  Gaspard's  Trail.  I  was  glad  of  his  company, 
because  the  sight  of  the  parched  prairie  and  bare  strip 
of  plowland  was  depressing.  Barns  and  granary  alike 
were  empty,  for  the  earth  had  failed  to  redeem  her 
promise  that  season,  and  an  unnatural  silence  brooded 
over  Gaspard's  Trail. 

"  I  don't  know  what  has  come  over  this  country/*  the 
trooper  said.  "  One  used  to  get  a  cheery  word  every- 
where, but  now  farmer  and  stockman  can  hardly  answer 
a  question  civilly,  and  the  last  fellow  I  spoke  to  about 
his  fireguards  seemed  inclined  to  assault  me.  Presum- 
ably it's  the  bad  times,  and  I'll  be  thankful  when  they 
improve.  It  might  put  some  of  you  into  a  more  pleasant 
humor." 

"  If  you  had  said  bad  men  you  might  have  been  nearer 
the  mark,"  I  answered  dryly.  "  We  are  a  peaceable 
people,  but  there's  an  oppression  worse  than  any  govern- 
mental tyranny,  and  from  the  rumors  in  the  air  it's  not 
impossible  some  of  us  may  try  to  find  our  own  remedy 
if  we  are  pushed  too  far." 

"  That's  a  little  indefinite,"  said  Cotton,  with  a  laugh. 
"  If  you  mean  taking  the  law  into  your  own  hands,  there 
would  be  very  unpleasant  work  for  me.  Still,  I'm  sorry 
for  all  of  you,  especially  those  whom  that  flabby  scoun- 
drel Lane  seems  to  be  squeezing.  He's  been  driving  to 
and  from  the  railroad  a  good  deal  of  late,  and  it's  cur- 
ious that  twice  when  I  struck  his  trail  two  traveling 
photographers  turned  up  soon  after  him.  One  was  a 
most  amusing  rascal,  but  I  did  not  see  the  other,  who 
was  busy  inside  the  wagon  tent,  and  who  apparently  man- 

78 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME  79 

aged  the  camera.  I'll  show  you  a  really  tolerable  pic- 
ture of  me  he  insisted  on  taking." 

It  struck  me  that  Boone,  or  Adams,  had  twice  run  a 
serious  risk;  but  I  said  nothing,  and  Cotton,  fumbling 
inside  his  tunic,  tossed  a  litter  of  papers  on  the  table. 
These  were  mostly  official,  but  there  were  odd  letters 
among  them,  for  the  trooper  was  not  remarkable  for 
preciseness,  and  I  noticed  a  crest  upon  some  of  the  envel- 
opes, while,  after  shuffling  them,  he  flung  me  a  small 
card,  back  uppermost.  I  was  surprised  when,  turning  it 
over,  the  face  of  Lucille  Haldane  met  my  gaze. 

"  It  is  a  charming  picture ;  but  that  is  only  natural, 
considering  the  original.  How  did  you  get  this,  Cot- 
ton ?  "  I  said. 

The  trooper  snatched  it  from  me,  and  a  darker  color 
mantled  his  forehead.  "  Confound  it !  I  never  meant 
to  show  you  that,"  he  said. 

"  So  I  surmised,"  I  answered  dryly ;  and  the  lad 
frowned  as  he  thrust  the  picture  out  of  sight. 

"You  will  understand,  Ormesby,  that  Miss  Haldane 
did  not  give  me  this.  I — well — I  discovered  it." 

"  Wasn't  it  foolish  of  you  ?  "  I  asked  quietly ;  and  the 
trooper,  who,  strange  to  say,  did  not  seem  to  find  my 
tone  of  paternal  admonition  ludicrous,  answered  impul- 
sively :  "  I  don't  know  why  I  should  strip  for  your  in- 
spection, Ormesby,  or  why  I  should  not  favor  you  with  a 
well-known  reply ;  but  it  is  perhaps  best  that  you  should 
not  misunderstand  the  position.  I  know  what  you  are 
thinking,  but  I  haven't  forgotten  I'm  Trooper  Cotton — 
nor  am  I  likely  to.  It's  a  strange  life,  Ormesby,  and 
the  men  who  live  it  go  under  occasionally.  This — God 
bless  her — is  merely  something  to  hold  on  by." 

I  made  no  answer,  for  there  was  nothing  appropriate 
I  could  find  to  say;  but  it  occured  to  me  that  Lucille 
Haldane  might  never  receive  a  higher  compliment  than 
this  lad's  unexpectant  homage. 

"  Here  is  the  right  one,  and  you  will  obliterate  the 
other  from  your  memory,"  he  said,  passing  me  a  second 
photograph.  "  The  fellow  who  took  it  knows  how  to 
handle  a  camera." 


80     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

It  was  evident  he  did ;  and,  knowing  who  he  was,  the 
irony  of  the  circumstances  impressed  me  as  I  examined 
the  picture.  "  He  has  an  artistic  taste  and  an  eye  for 
an  effective  pose.  Are  you  going  to  send  any  copies  to 
your  people  in  England,  Cotton  ?  "  I  said. 

"  No,"  answered  the  lad  quietly ;  "  they  might  not  be 
pleased  with  it.  Well,  I  dare  say,  you  have  guessed  long 
ago  that  I  am  one  of  the  legion.  Most  of  my  people 
were  soldiers,  which  was  why,  when  I  had  two  dollars 
left,  I  offered  the  nation  my  services  at  Regina;  but  I 
am  the  first  of  them  to  wear  a  police  private's  uniform." 

I  nodded  sympathetically,  and  the  trooper,  who  looked 
away  from  me  out  of  the  window,  said :  "  Talk  of  the 
devil !  All  men,  it  is  said,  are  equal  in  this  country, 
but  I  fancy  there's  a  grade  between  most  of  us  and 
your  acquaintance,  Foster  Lane.  The  fellow  has  passed 
the  corral,  and  I  can't  get  out  without  meeting  him." 

I  nodded  with  a  certain  grim  sense  of  anticipation, 
for  I  had  determined  to  speak  very  plainly  to  Foster 
Lane,  and  knew  that  Cotton  could,  on  occasion,  display 
a  refined  insolence  that  was  signally  exasperating.  The 
next  moment  Lane  came  in,  red-faced  and  perspiring, 
and  greeted  me  with  his  usual  affability. 

"  I'm  on  the  way  to  recovery,  but  unable  to  ride  far, 
which  explains  my  request  for  a  visit,"  I  said;  and  Lane 
waved  his  large  hands  deprecatingly. 

"  Business  is  business,  and  you  need  not  apologize, 
because  although  I  have  come  two  hundred  miles  you 
will  find  first-class  expenses  charged  for  in  the  bill.  I 
can't  smoke  on  horseback.  Will  you  and  the  trooper 
try  one  of  these  ?  " 

"  No,  thanks,"  said  Cotton,  with  an  inflection  in  his 
voice  and  a  look  in  his  half-closed  eyes  that  would  have 
warned  a  more  sensitive  person;  but  Lane,  still  holding 
out  the  cigar-case,  added  with  mild  surprise :  "  By  the 
price  I  paid  for  them  they  ought  to  be  good." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,"  drawled  Cotton,  glancing  lan- 
guidly at  the  speaker.  "  But  a  few  of  what  you  would 
call  British  prejudices  still  cling  to  me,  and  I  take 
cigars  and  things  only  from  my  friends — you  see  ?  " 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME  81 

The  stout  man  laughed  a  little,  though  there  was 
malice  in  his  eye.  "  And  we  are  not  likely  to  be  ac- 
quainted? You  are,  one  might  presume,  a  scion  of  the 
English  aristocracy,  come  out  to  recruit  your  health  or 
wait  until  it's  a  little  less  sultry  in  the  old  country." 

"  I  would  hardly  go  so  far !  " — and  Cotton  drawled 
out  the  words,  as  he  turned  upon  his  heel.  "  More  un- 
likely things  have  happened.  At  present  I  have  the 
honor  of  serving  her  Majesty  as — a  police  trooper." 

Lane  handed  me  his  cigar-case  when  the  lad  strolled 
out  of  the  door,  but  I  was  in  no  mood  to  assume  an 
unfelt  cordiality.  "  I  am  not  inclined  for  smoking. 
Hadn't  we  better  come  straight  to  business  ?  "  I  said. 

Lane  struck  a  match,  and  stretched  his  legs  along  the 
window-seat,  though  he  closed  the  case  with  a  snap. 
"  Why,  certainly !  You  are  ready  to  redeem  the  mort- 
gage on  Gaspard's  Trail  ?  " 

He  spoke  pleasantly,  though  there  was  a  sneer  in  his 
eyes,  and  he  had  both  lighted  his  cigar,  in  spite  of  my 
hint,  and  laid  his  dusty  boots  on  the  cushions  with  a 
cool  assurance  that  made  me  long  to  personally  chastise 
him.  '  You  probably  know  that  I  am  not,"  I  said. 

"  I  did  hear  you  had  lost  some  cattle,"  he  answered 
indifferently.  "  Well,  in  that  case,  I  wait  your  propo- 
sition." 

"  I  am  open  to  renew  the  loan  at  the  original  interest 
until  this  time  next  year,  when,  no  matter  what  I  may 
have  to  part  with,  it  will  be  paid  off.  You  have  already 
had  a  very  fair  return  on  your  money/'  I  said. 

"  It  can't  be  done,"  and  Lane  looked  thoughtfully  at 
his  cigar.  "  I'll  carry  you  on  that  long  at  double  inter- 
est, or  make  you  a  bid  outright  for  Crane  Valley." 

"  There  is  no  reason  in  your  first  offer ;  you  asked  only 
fifty  per  cent,  increase  last  time,  which  was  enough  in 
all  conscience.  What  do  you  want  with  Crane  Valley  ?  " 

Lane  smiled  benignly.  "  You  didn't  accept  that  offer 
formally.  Crane  Valley's  a  pretty  location,  and  I've 
taken  a  fancy  to  it." 

I  took  time  to  answer,  and  set  my  brain  to  work.  The 
advantage  lay  with  the  enemy,  but,  while  it  appeared 


82     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

certain  that  he  would  dispossess  me  of  Gaspard's  Trail, 
I  determined  to  hold  on  to  Crane  Valley.  "  You  can't 
have  it,  and  I  will  not  pay  the  extortionate  interest.  That, 
I  think,  is  plain  enough,"  I  said. 

The  financier  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  hope  you 
won't  be  sorry.  I  haven't  quite  decided  on  my  pro- 
gram, but  you  will  hear  what  it  is  when  I'm  ready. 
Have  you  got  your  own  fixed  ?  " 

"I  will  have  soon,"  I  answered,  my  indignation  gain- 
ing the  mastery.  "  There  is  no  advantage  to  be  gained 
by  further  circumlocution,  and  you  may  as  well  know 
that  I  will  give  you  as  much  trouble  as  possible  before 
you  plunder  me.  In  the  first  place,  if  we  find  Redmond, 
I  shall  try  to  strike  you  for  conspiracy." 

"  Do  you  know  where  Redmond  is  ?  "  and  there  was 
a  curious  note  in  the  speaker's  voice,  though  I  stolidly 
refrained  from  any  sign  of  either  negation  or  assent. 
"  Neither  do  I ;  but  I  have  my  suspicions  that  he  won't 
be  much  use  to  you  if  you  do  find  him.  The  man  is  half- 
crazy,  anyway.  Did  you  ever  hear  about  the  fool  bull- 
frog and  the  ox,  Rancher  Ormesby  ?  " 

He  leaned  back  against  the  logs,  and  chuckled  so  com- 
placently at  his  own  conceit  that  it  was  hard  to  believe 
this  easy-tempered  creature  was  draining  half  my  neigh- 
bors' blood;  but  I  was  filled  with  a  great  loathing  for 
him. 

"  Your  simile  isn't  a  good  one,  even  if  it  fits  the  case. 
An  ox  is  a  hard-working,  honest,  and  useful  kind  of 
beast ;  but  there's  no  use  bandying  words,"  I  said. 

"  Just  so !  "  and  Lane  rose  lazily.  "  It's  rather  a  pity 
you  sent  for  me,  because  you  have  not  had  much  for 
your  money.  Being  rather  pressed  just  now,  I  won't 
stay." 

I  had  no  intention  of  requesting  him  to  do  so,  for  the 
air  seemed  clearer  without  him,  and  presently  Cotton 
returned.  For  the  first  time,  I  told  him  all  my  suspi- 
cions concerning  Redmond,  and  he  looked  grave  as  he 
listened.  "  It  would  have  saved  some  people  sorrow 
if  I  could  only  have  run  that  horse-leach  in,"  he  com- 
mented, gazing  regretfully  after  the  diminishing  figure 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME  83 

of  the  rider.  "  Yes ;  it's  curious  about  Redmond.  Lane 
was  over  at  his  place  a  little  while  before  your  acci- 
dent, and  I  believe  afterwards  as  well,  and  since  then 
nobody  has  seen  Redmond.  I'll  have  a  talk  with  Mac- 
kay,  and  put  some  of  our  men  on  his  trail.  If  he's  still 
on  top  of  the  prairie  they'll  find  him." 

Cotton  rode  away;  and  late  that  evening  Steel  re- 
turned from  his  own  holding  with  a  very  grim  face, 
while  the  eyes  of  his  sister  were  suspiciously  red. 

"  I'm  to  be  sold  up,  and  am  turned  out  now,"  he 
said.  "  Lane,  who  won't  wait  any  longer,  is  foreclos- 
ing, and  he'll  fix  things  so  there  will  be  no  balance  left. 
God  knows  what's  to  become  of  Sally  and  me." 

"  You  need  not  trouble  about  Sally,"  the  girl  said, 
with  a  flash  in  her  eyes.  "  We'll  worry  along  somehow, 
and  we'll  live  to  see  that  devil  sorry." 

Practical  counsel  seemed  the  best  sympathy,  and  after 
asking  a  few  questions,  I  said :  "  This  is  going  to  be 
a  grain-producing  country,  and  there  are  plenty  acres 
ready  for  breaking  and  horses  idle  at  Crane  Valley. 
When  Lane  seizes  Gaspard's  Trail,  as  he  probably  will, 
we  must  see  what  can  be  done  with  them  on  the  share 
arrangement ;  and  meantime,  since  I  paid  two  hired  men 
off,  there  is  plenty  for  you  to  do  here  helping  me." 

Steel  eventually  agreed,  and  as  soon  as  I  was  fit  for 
the  saddle  I  rode  over  to  Mackay's  quarters ;  but,  though 
he  stated  that  if  Redmond  were  anywhere  in  the  Terri- 
tories he  would  sooner  or  later  be  found,  nothing  had 
so  far  resulted  from  his  inquiries. 

It  was  some  weeks  later,  and  towards  the  close  of  a 
sultry  afternoon,  when  I  rode  homewards  with  Cotton 
and  Steel  towards  the  Sweetwater.  We  had  much  thun- 
der that  season,  and  though  there  had  been  a  heavy 
storm  the  night  before,  a  stagnant,  oppressive  atmos- 
phere still  hung  over  the  prairie.  It  suited  the  somber 
mood  of  two  of  the  party,  while  even  Cotton  seemed 
unusually  subdued. 

Steel's  possessions  had  been  sold  off  that  day,  and 
bought  up  at  ridiculously  inadequate  prices  by  two 
strangers,  who  we  all  suspected  had  been  financed  by 


84*     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Lane.  Few  of  us  had  a  dollar  to  spare,  and  the  auc- 
tioneer, who  was  also  probably  under  the  money-lender's 
thumb,  demanded  proof  of  ability  to  make  the  purchase 
when  one  or  two  neighbors  attempted  to  force  up  the 
bidding.  Steel  rode  with  slack  bridle  and  his  head  b'ent, 
and  I  was  heavy  of  heart,  for  I  held  Gaspard's  Trail 
only  on  sufferance,  and  the  same  fate  must  soon  over- 
take me.  The  prairie  stretched  before  us  a  desolate 
waste,  fading  on  the  horizon  into  gray  obscurity,  and, 
together  with  the  gloom  of  the  heavens  above,  its  for- 
lorn aspect  increased  my  depression.  So  we  came  mood- 
ily to  the  dip  to  the  Sweetwater,  and  I  saw  Mackay 
standing  beside  a  deeper  pool  below.  A  rapid  flowed 
into  the  head  of  it,  and  the  lines  of  froth  shone  with  a 
strange  lividness.  The  time  was  then  perhaps  an  hour 
before  sunset.  When  we  dismounted  to  water  and  rest 
the  horses,  Mackay  turned  sharply  and  glanced  at 
Cotton. 

"  All  went  off  quietly  ? "     And  the  trooper  nodded. 

"  Yes,"  I  said.  "  We  have  a  long  patience,  Sergeant ; 
but  there  were  signs  on  some  of  the  faces  that  things 
may  go  differently  some  day." 

"  Ay  ?  "  said  the  sergeant,  fixing  his  keen  eyes  on  me 
as  he  stood,  a  lean,  bronze-skinned  statue  beside  the 
river.  "  What  were  ye  meaning,  Rancher  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  I  was  merely  giving  you  a  hint/'  I  said.  "  We  have 
paid  all  demanded  from  us  and  kept  the  law,  but  now, 
when  the  powers  that  rule  us  stand  by  and  watch  us 
ground  out  of  existence  to  enrich  a  few  unprincipled 
schemers,  it  is  hard  to  say  what  might  not  happen." 

"  Ye  did  well,"  was  the  dry  answer.  "  It  will  be  my 
business  to  see  ye  keep  it  still;  but  in  this  country  any 
man  has  liberty  to  talk  just  as  foolishly  as  it  pleases 
him.  Can  the  law  change  the  seasons  for  ye,  or  protect 
the  careless  from  their  own  improvidence?  But  let  be. 
I'm  older  than  most  o'  ye,  and  have  seen  that  there's  a 
measure  set  on  oppression." 

He  concluded  with  a  curious  assurance  which  ap- 
proached solemnity;  but  Steel  added,  with  a  Western 
expletive,  that  he  had  already  let  be  until  he  was  ruined. 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME  85 

Then  I  broke  in :  "  If  I  can  find  Redmond  and  wring 
the  truth  from  him  I  hope  to  prove  that  the  limit  has 
been  reached;  and  I  purpose,  in  the  first  place,  to  see 
what  the  law  will  do  for  me.  Have  you  any  word  of 
him?" 

"  No,"  and  the  sergeant's  tone  was  very  significant. 
"  If  he  were  still  above  the  prairie-sod  we  should  have 
found  him.  But  there  was  a  bit  freshet  last  night — and 
I  am  expecting  him." 

Steel,  I  fancied,  shivered,  and  though  the  speaker 
might  well  be  mistaken,  anything  that  served  to  divert 
our  thoughts  was  a  relief,  and  for  a  while  we  lay  among 
the  grasses,  smoking  silently.  The  sky  was  heavily 
overcast,  there  was  no  breath  of  air  astir,  and  the  slow 
gurgle  of  the  river  drifted  mournfully  down  the  hollow. 
For  some  reason,  I  felt  strangely  restless  and  expectant, 
as  though  something  unusual  would  shortly  happen.  A 
faint  drumming  of  hoofs  rose  up  from  somewhere  far 
off  across  the  prairie,  as  well  as  a  sound  which  might 
have  been  made  by  an  approaching  wagon. 

"  That's  Lane  striking  south  for  the  railroad  with  a 
few  of  the  boys  behind  him,"  Steel  said  listlessly. 
"  There'll  be  thunder  before  he  reaches  it,  and  Lardeau's 
team  is  wild,  but  there's  no  use  hoping  they'll  bolt  and 
break  Lane's  neck  for  him.  Accidents  do  not  happen 
to  that  kind  of  man." 

A  little  time  had  passed,  and  the  beat  of  horses'  feet 
broke  in  a  rhythmic  measure  through  the  heavy  stillness, 
when  Cotton,  who  had  followed  his  sergeant  along  the 
bank,  raised  a  shout,  and  I  leaped  to  my  feet,  for  some- 
thing that  circled  with  the  current  was  drifting  down 
stream.  We  ran  our  hardest,  and,  for  I  was  not  strong 
yet,  the  others  were  standing  very  silent,  with  tense 
faces  and  staring  eyes,  when  I  rejoined  them. 

"  Yon's  Redmond,"  said  Sergeant  Mackay.  "  I  was 
expecting  him." 

The  object  he  pointed  to  slid  slowly  by  abreast  of 
us,  and  I  felt  a  shock  of  physical  nausea  as  I  stared  at 
it.  At  that  distance  it  was  without  human  semblance, 
a  mere  shapeless  mass  of  sodden  clothing,  save  for  the 


86     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

faint  white  glimmer  of  a  face ;  but  the  shock  gave  place 
to  a  fit  of  sullen  fury.  Heaven  knows  I  cherished  no 
anger  against  the  unfortunate  man.  Indeed,  from  the 
beginning,  I  had  regarded  him  as  a  mere  helpless  tool ; 
but  death  had  robbed  me  of  my  only  weapon,  and  I 
remembered  Lane's  prediction  that  Redmond  would  be 
of  little  use  to  me  if  I  found  him. 

"  If  one  of  ye  has  a  lariat  ye  had  better  bring  it," 
said  Sergeant  Mackay. 

We  followed  the  object  down  stream.  It  floated 
slowly,  now  half-submerged,  now  rising  more  buoyantly, 
with  the  blanched  countenance  turned  towards  the  murky 
heavens,  out  of  which  the  light  was  fading,  until  Steel, 
poising  himself  upon  the  bank,  deftly  flung  a  coupled 
lariat.  The  noose  upon  its  end  took  hold,  and  I  shrank 
backwards  when  we  drew  what  it  held  ashore,  for  Red- 
mond's face  was  ill  to  look  upon,  and  seemed  to  mock 
me  with  its  staring  eyes. 

"  Stan'  clear ! "  said  the  sergeant,  perhaps  feeling 
speech  of  any  kind  would  be  a  relief,  for  nobody  showed 
the  least  desire  to  crowd  upon  him.  "  If  it  had  not 
been  for  the  regulations  a  drop  of  whisky  would  have 
been  acceptable,  seeing  that  it's  my  painful  duty  to  find 
out  how  he  came  by  his  end." 

The  words  were  excusable,  but  there  was  no  whisky 
forthcoming;  and  though,  perhaps,  only  one  man  in  a 
hundred  would  have  undertaken  that  gruesome  task, 
the  sergeant  went  through  it  with  the  grim  thorough- 
ness which  characterized  all  his  actions. 

"  There's  no  sign  of  a  blow  or  bullet  that  I  can  find, 
and  I'm  thinking  only  the  Almighty  knows  whether  he 
drowned  himself  or  it  was  accidental  death.  Ye  can 
identify  him,  all  of  ye  ?  " 

We  thought  we  could,  but  had  been  so  intent  that  no- 
body noticed  the  trampling  of  horses'  hoofs  until  a 
wagon  was  drawn  up  close  by,  and  several  riders  reined 
in  their  beasts. 

"  Here's  a  man  who  ought  to,"  said  Steel.  "  Come 
down  and  swear  to  your  partner,  Lane." 

Turning,  I   saw  my  enemy  start  as  he  looked  over 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME  87 

the  side  of  the  wagon  at  what  lay  before  him.  Every 
eye  was  fixed  upon  him,  and  Steel  stood  quietly  deter- 
mined by  the  wheel. 

"  I'm  in  a  hurry,  and  don't  fill  the  post  of  coroner," 
the  former  said. 

"  Will  you  come  down  ?  "  Steel  added ;  and  there  was 
a  low  growl  from  the  assembly,  while  Lane  shrank  back 
from  that  side  of  the  vehicle.  "  I  guess  it's  certain  this 
man  was  the  last  to  see  Redmond  alive." 

"  Drive  on ! "  said  Lane  to  the  teamster ;  but  the  man 
hesitated,  while,  when  his  employer  snatched  up  the  reins, 
there  was  another  murmur  deeper  than  before,  and 
mounted  men  closed  about  the  wagon,  their  figures  cut- 
ting blackly  against  the  fading  light.  Why  they  were 
journeying  homewards  in  such  company  I  did  not  learn, 
but,  overtaking  it,  they  had  perhaps  ridden  beside  the 
wagon  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  their  frank  opin- 
ion of  its  occupant. 

"  Ye  cannot  pass  until  ye  have  answered  my  ques- 
tions," said  Sergeant  Mackay.  "  If  he  does  not  dis- 
mount ye  have  authority  to  help  him,  Steel.  Ye  will 
hold  the  horses,  Trooper  Cotton." 

Lane  slowly  climbed  down  the  wheel,  and  neither 
Mackay  nor  Cotton  interfered  when,  as  he  showed  signs 
of  remaining  at  the  foot  of  it,  Steel's  hand  closed  firmly 
on  his  neck  and  forced  him  forwards,  apparently  much 
against  his  wishes.  Then  the  ruined  farmer  held  him, 
protesting  savagely,  beside  the  body  of  his  victim.  It 
was,  in  its  own  way,  an  impressive  scene — the  erect, 
soldierly  figures  of  the  uniformed  troopers,  the  circle  of 
silent  mounted  men,  who  moved  only  to  sooth  their 
uneasy  horses,  and  the  white-faced  man  who  shivered 
visibly  as  he  looked  down  at  the  sodden  heap  at  his 
feet.  There  was  also,  even  had  the  two  been  strangers, 
ample  excuse  for  him. 

"  While  protesting  that  this  is  an  outrage,  I  am  ready 
to  answer  your  questions,"  he  said  huskily. 

"  Who  is  this  man  ?  Did  ye  know  him  ?  "  asked  the 
sergeant,  whose  face  remained  woodenly  impassive. 

"  Rancher  Redmond,  by  his   clothing,"  was   the  an- 


88     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

swer.  "  Yes ;  if  necessary,  I  think  I  could  swear  to 
him."  And  the  sergeant  asked  again :  "  When  and 
where  did  ye  last  see  him  ?  " 

"  In  the  birch  coulee,  at  dusk,  three  weeks  past  Tues- 
day. That  would  make  it "  But  the  financier  seemed 

unable  to  work  out  the  simple  sum,  and  concluded: 
'*  You  can  figure  the  date  for  yourself." 

"  What  business  had  ye  with  him  ?  "  and  the  sergeant 
smiled  dryly  at  the  answer :  "  That  does  not  concern 
you." 

"  Maybe  no.  If  ye  have  good  reasons  for  not  telling 
I  will  not  press  ye,  though  ye  may  be  called  upon  to 
speak  plainly.  Do  ye  know  how  he  came  into  the 
river?  " 

"  No,"  said  Lane,  a  trifle  too  vehemently. 

"  Do  ye  know  of  any  reason  why  he  should  have 
drowned  himself  ?  "  And  Lane  turned  upon  the  ques- 
tioner savagely: 

"  I'll  make  you  all  suffer  for  your  inference !  Why 
should  I  know?  I  challenge  the  right  of  anyone  but  a 
coroner  to  detain  me." 

"  I'll  let  ye  see  my  authority  at  the  station  if  I  find 
it  necessary  to  take  ye  there,"  said  the  sergeant  grimly. 
"  Noo  will  ye  answer?  Do  ye  know  why  this  man  ye 
had  dealings  with  should  wish  to  destroy  himself  ?  " 

"  You're  presuming  a  good  deal,"  was  the  answer ; 
and  Lane's  face  grew  malevolent  as  he  glanced  at  Steel 
and  me.  "  How  do  you  know  he  did  destroy  himself, 
anyway;  and  if  he  did,  I  guess  it's  an  open  secret  he 
had  trouble  with  Ormesby  and  Steel." 

I  sprang  forward,  but  Cotton  laid  a  heavy  hand  on 
my  shoulder,  and  there  was  a  threatening  ejaculation 
from  one  of  the  bystanders.  "  Well,  to  satisfy  you,  I 
solemnly  declare  I  am  in  no  way  connected  with  what 
has  befallen  the  deceased  rancher,  and  know  of  no  rea- 
son why  he  should  have  attempted  his  life.  This  isn't 
a  court ;  but  because  I'm  in  a  hurry,  and  to  stop  chatter- 
ing tongues,  I  call  heaven  to  witness  it  is  the  truth." 

I  believed  that,  after  a  villainous  attempt  to  divert 
suspicion  to  me,  the  man  was  deliberately  perjuring  him- 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME  89 

self,  and  several  of  the  bystanders  must  have  believed  it, 
too.  Most  of  them  were  not  wholly  free  from  super- 
stition, and  their  faces  were  almost  expectant  as  they 
stood  strung  up  and  intent  about  the  dead  man  under  the 
deepening  gloom.  Then  a  flicker  of  pale  lightning  rilled 
the  hollow.  Each  face  was  lit  up  for  a  second,  and 
Lane's  was  livid;  and,  when  the  flash  faded,  the  dusk 
seemed  to  deepen  suddenly,  and  a  boom  of  distant  thun- 
der rolled  from  swelling  level  to  level  across  the  prairie. 
Thunder  had  been  very  frequent  during  the  last  few 
weeks,  but  the  listeners  seemed  to  find  the  coincidence 
significant. 

"  Ye  can  pass,"  said  the  sergeant,  whose  voice  seemed 
a  trifle  unsteady.  "  But  it  will  be  on  horseback,  and  we 
may  want  ye  later.  Lardeau — it's  a  charity — ye  will 
lend  Redmond  the  wagon." 

"  You  can't  have  it,"  said  Lane.  "  I  have  a  long  jour- 
ney before  me  and  a  rheumatic  thigh.  If  you  take  the 
wagon  I  hired  what  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  You  can  ride  with  Redmond.  His  house  is  on  your 
way,  and  you  can't  hurt  him,  anyway.  The  poor  devil's 
beyond  you  now,"  said  a  stern  voice;  and  Lane,  who 
allowed  the  teamster  to  help  him  onto  one  of  the  horses 
which  was  replaced,  departed  hurriedly. 

"  I  congratulate  ye,"  said  Sergeant  Mackay  signifi- 
cantly. "  He  was  a  fellow-creature,  boys.  Who'll  help 
me  lift  him  in  ?  We  will  e'en  need  the  same  service  our- 
selves some  day." 

I  shuddered,  but  took  my  place  with  Steel  among  the 
rest;  and  when  the  task  was  accomplished,  the  latter 
expressed  both  our  feelings  as  he  said :  "  I  wouldn't 
for  five  hundred  dollars  do  that  again;  but  it  seemed 
the  poor  devil's  due  after  what  we  said  about  him.  I 
guess  he  wasn't  quite  responsible,  and  was  driven  to  it; 
but,  when  it  comes  to  the  reckoning,  God  help  the  man 
who  drove  him." 

It  was  dark  when  we  gained  the  level  and  followed 
the  creaking  wagon  that  jolted  before  us  across  the 
prairie.  Few  words  were  spoken.  A  low  rumbling  of 
thunder  rolled  across  the  great  emptiness,  while  now 


90     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and  then  a  pale  blue  flash  fell  athwart  the  lathered  horses 
and  set  faces  of  the  men.  "  The  beasts,"  said  one  big 
farmer,  "  know  considerably  more  than  they  can  tell. 
Look  at  the  near  one  sweating!  I  guess  they  find  Red- 
mond or  the  load  he's  carrying  mighty  heavy." 

"  Then,"  added  another  voice,  which  broke  harshly 
through  the  thuds  of  hoofs,  "ten  teams  wouldn't  move 
the  man  who*  rode  away." 

The  ways  of  the  prairie  dwellers  are  in  some  respects 
modern  and  crudely  new;  but  the  Highland  servants  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  and  the  French  half-breed 
voyageur  have  between  them  left  us  a  dowry  of  quaint 
belief  and  superstition ;  and  the  growl  of  the  thunder 
and  the  black  darkness  made  a  due  impression  on  most 
of  those  who  brought  Redmond  home.  For  my  part  I 
was  thankful  when  a  lonely  log-house  loomed  up  ahead 
and  the  wagon  came  to  a  standstill.  Four  men,  impro- 
vising a  stretcher,  took  up  their  burden,  and  halted  as 
Sergeant  Mackay  and  another,  neither  of  whom  seemed 
to  care  about  his  errand,  knocked  on  the  door. 

A  young  woman  opened  it,  holding  aloft  a  lamp,  and 
under  its  uncertain  light  her  face  showed  drawn  and 
pale.  I  breathed  harder,  and  heard  some  of  those  about 
me  murmur  compassionately,  for  she  looked  very  frail 
and  young  to  bear  what  must  follow.  The  sergeant's 
words  did  not  reach  us,  but  a  swift  glare  of  blue  flame, 
that  left  us  dazzled,  broke  in  upon  them.  The  whole 
space  about  the  building  was  flooded  with  temporary 
brilliancy,  and  Redmond's  daughter  must  have  seen  us 
standing  about  the  wagon  and  the  bearers  waiting,  for 
she  dropped  the  lantern  (which  Mackay  seized  in  time), 
and  caught  at  the  logs  which  framed  the  door  as  if  for 
support.  A  minute  must  have  passed  before  the  slight 
form  once  more  stood  erect  upon  the  threshold. 

"  Mackay  thinks  of  everything,"  Steel  said  in  my  ear. 
"  He  sent  Gordon  off  to  bring  his  wife  along.  There's 
only  the  half-breed  here,  and  she'll  need  a  white  woman 
with  her  to-night,  poor  soul." 

"  Bring  him  in,"  said  a  low  voice ;  and  before  the  ser- 
geant could  prevent  her,  the  speaker,  snatching  up  the 


HOW    REDMOND    CAME    HOME          91 

lantern,  moved  forward  to  meet  the  bearers.  It  was  no 
sight  for  young  eyes,  and  I  saw  Steel  shudder ;  but  there 
was  wild  Erse  blood  in  the  girl,  and,  holding  one  arm 
up,  she  stood  erect,  facing  us  again. 

"  This  was  my  father,  and  he  was  a  kind  man  to  me," 
she  said,  with  a  choking  gasp  that  was  not  a  sob,  and 
from  which  her  voice  broke  high  and  shrill.  "  For  the 
sake  of  a  few  acres  and  cattle  he  was  driven  to  his  death, 
and  may  black  sorrow  follow  the  man  who  ruined  him. 
Sorrow  and  bitterness,  with  the  fear  that  will  drive 
sleep  from  him  and  waste  him  blood  and  bone  until  he 
takes  the  curse  of  the  widow  and  orphan  with  him  into 
the  flame  of  hell  I  " 

Then  the  eerie  voice  sank  again,  and  ft  was  with  a 
strange  dignity  she  concluded :  "  I  thank  you,  neigh- 
bors. You  can  bring  him  in." 

Another  paler  flash  lit  up  the  prairie  as  they  carried 
Redmond  in,  and,  when  a  wagon  came  bouncing  up  to 
the  fence,  Steel  said :  "  Here's  Mrs.  Gordon ;  they  have 
lost  no  time.  Are  you  coming  back,  Ormesby  ?  I've  had 
about  enough  of  this." 

I  had  no  wish  to  linger,  and  when  we  rode  homewards 
through  the  deluge  that  now  thrashed  our  faces,  the  ser- 
geant, who  overtook  us,  said :  "  Man,  I  feel  creepy ! 
She's  no'  quite  canny,  and  yon  was  awesome." 

"  It  was  impressive ;  but  you  can't  attach  much  im- 
portance to  that  poor  girl's  half-distracted  raving,"  I 
said,  partly  to  convince  myself. 

"  Maybe  no,"  said  Sergeant  Mackay.  "  Superstition, 
ye  say;  but  I'm  thinking  there's  a  judgment  here  as 
well  as  hereafter,  and  I'd  no'  care  to  carry  yon  curse 
about  with  me." 


CHAPTER   IX 
A   PRAIRIE   STUDY 

So  Redmond  came  home,  and  we  buried  him  the  follow- 
ing night  by  torchlight  on  a  desolate  ridge  of  the  prairie. 
It  was  his  daughter  who  ordered  this;  and  if  some  of 
those  who  held  aloft  the  flaming  tow  guessed  his  secret 
they  kept  it  for  the  sake  of  the  girl  who  stood  with  a 
stony,  tearless  face  beside  the  open  grave.  He  had 
doubtless  yielded  to  strong  compulsion  when  driven  into 
a  corner  from  which,  for  one  of  his  nature,  there  was  no 
escape,  and  now  that  he  was  dead,  I  had  transferred  my 
score  against  him  to  the  debit  of  the  usurer.  As  we  rode 
home  after  the  funeral  I  said  something  of  the  kind  to 
Steel,  who  agreed  with  me. 

"  If  you  concluded  to  try  it,  Thorn  and  Jo  and  I, 
taking  our  affidavits  as  to  what  we  saw  that  night, 
might  make  out  a  case  for  you;  but  I  don't  know  that 
we  could  fix  it  on  Lane,  and  it  strikes  me  as  mean  to 
drag  a  dead  man  into  the  fuss  for  nothing,"  he  said. 
"  Redmond  has  gone  to  a  place  where  he  can't  testify, 
but  he  has  left  his  daughter,  and  she  already  has  about 
all  she  can  stand." 

"  Strikes  me  that  way,  too ;  and  Lane's  too  smart  to 
be  corraled,"  added  Thorn. 

"  We'll  get  even  somehow  without  Redmond,  and  to 
that  end  you  two  will  have  to  run  Gaspard's  Trail,"  I 
said.  "  I'm  going  down  to  Montreal  with  Carolan's 
cattle." 

A  project  had  for  some  little  time  been  shaping  itself 
in  my  mind.  I  had  a  small  reversionary  interest  in  some 
English  property,  and  though  it  would  be  long  before 
a  penny  of  it  could  accrue  to  me,  it  seemed  just  possi- 
ble to  raise  a  little  money  on  it.  Considering  Western 
rates  of  interest,  nobody  in  Winnipeg  would  trouble 

M 


A    PRAIRIE    STUDY  93 

with  such  an  investment,  but  I  had  a  distant  and  pros- 
perous kinsman  in  Montreal  who  might  find  some  spec- 
ulator willing.  Montreal  was,  however,  at  least  two 
thousand  miles  away,  and  traveling  expensive;  but  the 
Carolan  brothers  had  promptly  accepted  my  offer  to 
take  charge  of  their  cattle  destined  for  Europe,  which 
implied  free  passes  both  ways.  It  was  not  the  mode  of 
traveling  one  would  have  expected  a  prosperous  rancher 
to  adopt,  but  I  needed  every  available  dollar  for  the 
approaching  stuggle,  and  was  well  content  when,  after 
the  untamed  stock  had  nearly  wrecked  the  railroad 
depot,  we  got  them  on  board  the  cars. 

The  only  time  I  ever  saw  Sergeant  Mackay  thor- 
oughly disconcerted  was  that  morning.  We  came  up 
out  of  the  empty  prairie  riding  on  the  flanks  of  the 
herd.  The  beasts  had  suffered  from  the  scarcity  of  water 
and  were  in  an  uncertain  temper,  while,  as  luck  would 
have  it,  just  as  they  surged  close-packed  between  the 
bare  frame  houses,  Mackay  and  a  trooper  came  riding 
down  the  unpaved  street  of  the  little  prairie  town.  There 
was  no  opening  either  to  right  or  to  left,  and  the  more 
prudent  storekeepers  put  up  their  shutters. 

"  Look  as  if  they  owned  the  universe,  them  police," 
said  the  man  who  cantered  up  beside  me.  "  Sure,  it 
would  take  the  starch  out  of  them  if  anything  did  start 
the  cattle." 

Mackay  pulled  up  his  horse  and  looked  dubiously  at 
the  mass  of  tossing  horns  rolling  towards  him.  '  'Tis 
not  in  accordance  with  regulations  to  turn  a  big  draft 
loose  on  a  peaceful  town.  Why  did  ye  not  split  them 
up  ?  "  he  said.  "  Ye  could  be  held  responsible  if  there's 
damage  done." 

"  I'm  afraid  these  beasts  don't  understand  regula- 
tions, and  I  had  to  bring  them  as  best  I  could,"  I 
answered ;  and  my  assistant  shouted,  "  Get  out  of  the 
daylight,  sergeant,  dear,  while  your  shoes  are  good." 

Mackay  seemed  to  resent  this  familiarity,  and  sat  still, 
with  one  hand  on  his  hip,  an  incarnation  of  official  dig- 
nity, though  he  kept  his  eyes  upon  the  fast  advancing 
herd,  until  the  big  freight  locomotive  which  was  await- 


94*     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ing  us  set  up  a  discordant  shrieking,  and  backed  a  row 
of  clanging  cars  across  the  switches.  That  was  suffi- 
cient for  the  untamed  cattle.  With  a  thunder  of  pound- 
ing hoofs  they  poured  tumultuously  down  the  rutted 
street,  and  I  caught  a  brief  glimpse  of  the  sergeant  hur- 
riedly wheeling  his  horse  before  everything  was  blotted 
out  by  the  stirred-up  dust.  The  streets  of  a  prairie  town 
are  inches  deep  in  powdered  loam  all  summer  and  in 
bottomless  sloughs  all  spring. 

A  wild  shout  of  "  Faugh-a-ballagh ! "  rang  out ;  and  I 
found  myself  riding  faster  than  was  prudent  along  the 
crazy  plank  sidewalk  to  pass  and,  if  possible,  swing  the 
stampeding  herd  into  the  railroad  corral.  How  my  horse 
gained  the  three-foot  elevation  and  avoided  falling  over 
the  dry-goods  bales  and  flour  bags  which  lay  littered 
everywhere,  I  do  not  remember;  but  my  chief  assist- 
ant, Dennis,  who,  yelling  his  hardest,  charged  recklessly 
down  the  opposite  one,  afterwards  declared  that  his 
beast  climbed  up  the  steps  like  a  kitten.  Then,  as  I 
drew  a  little  ahead,  Mackay  became  dimly  visible,  riding 
bareheaded,  as  though  for  his  life,  with  the  horns,  that 
showed  through  the  tossed-up  grit,  a  few  yards  behind 
him.  Fortunately  the  stockyard  gates  were  open  wide, 
and  Dennis  came  up  at  a  gallop  in  time  to  head  the  herd 
off  from  a  charge  across  the  prairie,  while  a  second  man 
and  I  turned  their  opposite  wing.  Mackay  did  his  best 
to  wheel  his  horse  clear  of  the  gates,  but  the  beast  was 
evidently  bent  on  getting  as  far  as  possible  from  the  on- 
coming mass,  and  resisted  bit  and  spur.  Then  there  was 
a  great  roar  of  laughter  from  loungers  and  stockyard 
hands  as  the  dust  swept  up  towards  heaven  and  the  drove 
thundered  through  the  opening. 

"  Where's  the  sergeant  ?  "  I  shouted ;  and  Dennis,  who 
chuckled  so  that  his  speech  was  thick,  made  answer: 
"  Sure,  he's  in  the  corral.  The  beasts  have  run  him  in, 
but  it's  mighty  tough  beef  they'd  find  him  in  the  old 
country." 

Dennis  was  right,  for  when  the  haze  thinned  the  ser- 
geant appeared,  as  white  as  a  miller,  flattened  up  against 
the  rails,  while  a  playful  steer  curveted  in  the  vicinity 


A    PRAIRIE    STUDY  95 

as  though  considering  where  to  charge  him.  He  was 
extricated  by  pulling  down  the  rails,  and  accepted  my 
apologies  stiffly. 

"  This,"  he  said,  disregarding  the  offer  of  a  lounger 
to  wash  him  under  the  locomotive  tank,  "  is  not  just 
what  I  would  have  expected  of  ye,  Rancher  Ormesby." 

While  the  stock  were  being  transferred  to  the  cars 
amid  an  almost  indescribable  tumult,  I  met  Miss  Red- 
mond on  the  little  sod  platform. 

"  I  am  glad  I  have  met  you,  because  I  am  going  to 
Winnipeg,  and  may  never  see  you  again,"  she  said. 
"  There*  is  much  I  do  not  understand,  but  I  feel  you  have 
been  wronged,  and  want  to  thank  you  for  your  con- 
sideration." 

Redmond's  daughter  had  received  some  training  in  an 
Eastern  convent,  it  was  said,  and  I  found  it  hard  to  be- 
lieve that  the  very  pale,  quietly-spoken  girl  was  the  one 
who  had  called  down  the  curses  upon  Foster  Lane. 
Still,  I  knew  there  was  a  strain  of  something  akin  to 
insanity  in  that  family,  and  that,  in  addition,  she  was 
of  the  changeful  nature  which  accompanies  pure  Celtic 
blood. 

"  You  should  not  indulge  in  morbid  fancies,  and  you 
have  very  little  cause  for  gratitude.  We  were  sincerely 
sorry  for  you,  and  tried  to  do  what  we  could,"  I 
said. 

Ailin  Redmond  fixed  her  black  eyes  intently  upon  me, 
and  I  grew  uneasy,  seeing  what  suggested  a  smolder- 
ing fire  in  them.  !<  You  are  not  clever  enough  to  deceive 
a  woman,"  she  said,  with  a  disconcerting  composure. 
"  I  do  not  know  all,  but  perhaps  I  shall  some  day,  and 
then,  whatever  it  costs  me,  you  and  another  person  shall 
see  justice  done.  It  may  not  be  for  a  long  time,  but  I 
can  wait;  and  I  am  going  away  from  the  prairie.  Still, 
I  should  like  to  ask  you  one  question — how  did  your 
cattle  get  inside  the  fence  ?  " 

"  The  fire  drove  them ;  but  instead  of  fretting  over 
such  things,  you  must  try  to  forget  the  last  two  months 
as  soon  as  possible,"  I  answered  as  stoutly  as  I  could, 
seeking  meanwhile  an  excuse  for  flight,  which  was  not 


96     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

lacking.  "  Those  beasts  will  kill  somebody  if  I  neglect 
them  any  longer." 

Ailin  Redmond  held  out  her  hand  to  me,  saying  very 
quietly :  "  I  shall  never  forget,  and — it  is  no  use  pro- 
testing— a  time  will  come  when  I  shall  understand  it  all 
clearly.  Until  then  may  the  good  saints  protect  you 
from  all  further  evil,  Rancher  Ormesby." 

As  I  hurried  away  a  tented  wagon  lurched  into  the 
station,  and  when  I  last  saw  Redmond's  daughter  she 
stood  near  the  lonely  end  of  the  platform  talking  ear- 
nestly with  the  traveling  photographer. 

Dennis  had  not  recovered  from  his  merriment  when, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  those  we  left  behind,  the  long 
cars  rolled  out  of  the  station,  while  many  agents  remem- 
bered our  visit  to  the  stations  which  succeeded.  Blind- 
ing dust  and  fragments  of  ballast  whirled  about  the  cars 
as  the  huge  locomotive  hauled  them  rocking  over  .the 
limitless  levels.  From  sunrise  to  sunset  the  gaunt  tele- 
graph poles  reeled  up  from  the  receding  horizon,  grow- 
ing from  the  size  of  matches  to  towering  spars  as  they 
came,  and  then  slowly  diminishing  far  down  the  straight- 
ruled  line  again.  For  hours  we  lay  on  side-tracks  wait- 
ing until  one  of  the  great  inter-ocean  expresses,  run- 
ning their  portion  of  the  race  round  half  the  globe, 
thundered  past,  white  with  the  dust  of  a  fifteen-hundred- 
mile  journey,  and  then,  with  cars  and  cattle  complaining, 
we  lurched  on  our  way  again. 

At  times  we  led  the  beasts  out  in  detachments  to  water 
at  wayside  stations,  and  there  was  usually  much  pro- 
fanity and  destruction  of  property  before  we  got  them 
back  again,  and  left  the  agent  to  assess  the  damage  to 
his  feelings,  besides  splintered  gangways  and  broken 
rails.  It  was  at  Portage  or  Brandon,  I  think,  that  one 
showed  me  a  warning  received  by  wire.  "  Through 
freight  full  of  wild  beasts  coming  along.  There'll  be 
nothing  left  of  your  station  if  you  let  the  lunatics  in 
charge  of  them  turn  their  menagerie  out." 

The  beasts  had,  however,  grown  more  subdued  before 
the  cars  rolled  slowly  into  Winnipeg,  and  gave  us  little 
trouble  when,  leaving  the  prairie  behind,  we  sped,  east- 


A    PRAIRIE    STUDY  97 

wards  ever,  past  broad  lake  and  foaming  river,  into  the 
muskegs  of  Ontario;  so  that  I  had  time  for  reflection 
when  the  great  locomotive,  panting  on  the  grades,  hauled 
us,  poised  giddily  between  crag  face  and  deep  blue 
water,  along  the  Superior  shore.  The  Haldanes  were  in 
Montreal,  and  I  wondered,  in  case  chance  threw  me  in 
their  way,  how  they  would  greet  me,  and  what  I  should 
say.  I  was  apparently  a  prosperous  rancher  when  they 
last  spoke  with  me,  and  a  tender  of  other  men's  cattle 
now,  while  it  might  well  happen  that  in  their  eyes  a 
further  cloud  rested  upon  me. 

The  long  and  weary  journey  came  to  an  end  at  last, 
and  when  the  big  engines  ceased  their  panting  beside 
the  broad  St.  Lawrence  I  left  Dennis  and  his  compan- 
ions to  divert  themselves  in  Montreal  after  the  fashion 
of  their  kind,  and,  arraying  myself  in  civilized  fashion, 
proceeded  to  my  relative's  offices. 

A  clerk  said  that  Mr.  Leyland,  who  was  absent,  de- 
sired me  to  follow  him  to  his  autumn  retreat,  but  I  first 
set  about  the  business  which  had  brought  me,  unassisted. 
Nobody,  however,  would  entertain  the  species  of  invest- 
ment I  had  to  propose,  and  it  was  with  a  heavy  heart  I 
boarded  the  cars  again  some  days  later. 

Leyland  and  his  wife  appeared  unaffectedly  glad  to 
see  me  at  their  pretty  summer-house,  which  stood  above 
the  smooth  white  shingle  fringing  a  wide  lake,  and  at 
sunset  that  evening  I  lay  smoking  among  the  boulders 
of  a  point,  while  his  son  and  heir  sat  close  by  interro- 
gating me.  Part  of  the  lake  still  reflected  the  afterglow, 
and  after  the  monotonous  levels  of  the  prairie  it  rested 
my  eyes  to  see  the  climbing  pines  tower  above  it  in 
shadowy  majesty.  Their  drowsy  scent  was  soothing, 
and  through  the  dusk  that  crept  towards  me  from  their 
feet,  blinking  lights  cast  trembling  reflections  across  the 
glassy  water.  Several  prosperous  citizens  retired  at 
times  to  spend  their  leisure  in  what  they  termed  camp- 
ing on  the  islets  of  that  lake. 

"  Air  you  poor  and  wicked  ? "  asked  the  urchin,  in- 
specting me  critically. 

"  Very  poor,  and  about  up  to  the  average  for  iniq- 


98     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

uity,"  I  said;  and  the  diminutive  questioner  rubbed  his 
curly  locks  as  though  puzzled. 

"  Well,  you  don't  quite  look  neither,"  he  commented. 
"  Poor  men  don't  wear  new  store  clothes.  The  last  one 
I  saw  had  big  holes  in  his  pants,  and  hadn't  eaten  nothing 
for  three  weeks,  he  said.  Pop,  he  spanked  me  good  'cos 
I  gave  him  four  dollars  off'n  the  bureau  to  buy  some 
dinner  with.  Say,  how  long  was  it  since  you  had  a 
square  meal,  anyway?  You  did  mighty  well  at  supper. 
I  was  watching  you." 

"  It  is  about  two  months  since  I  had  a  meal  like  that, 
and  then  it  was  because  a  friend  of  mine  gave  it  to  me," 
I  answered  truthfully;  and  Leyland  junior  rubbed  his 
head  again. 

"  No — you  don't  look  very  low  down,  but  you  must 
be,"  he  repeated.  "  Pop  was  talking  'bout  you,  and  he 
said :  '  You'll  do  your  best  to  see  the  poor  devil  has  a 
good  time,  'Twoinette.  From  what  I  gather  he  needs  it 
pretty  bad/  ' 

I  laughed,  perhaps  somewhat  hollowly,  for  the  child 
commented:  "Won't  you  do  that  again?  It's  just  like 
a  loon.  There's  one  lives  over  yonder,  and  he  might 
answer.  Ma,  she  says  people  should  never  make  a  noise 
when  they  laugh;  but  when  I  sent  Ted  on  the  roof  to 
get  my  ball,  and  he  fell  into  the  rain-butt,  she  just 
laughed  worse  than  you,  and  her  teeth  came  out." 

"  Your  mother  would  probably  spank  you  for  telling 
that  to  strangers.  But  who  is  Ted?"  I  said,  remember- 
ing that  a  loon  is  a  water-bird  that  sets  up  an  unearthly 
shrieking  in  the  stillness  of  the  night;  and  the  urchin 
rebuked  me  with  the  cheerful  disrespect  for  his  seniors 
which  characterizes  the  Colonial  born. 

"  Say,  was  you  forgotten  when  brains  were  given  out? 
He's  just  Ted  Caryl,  and  I  think  he's  bad.  Pop  says 
his  firm's  meaner  than  road  agents.  He  comes  round 
evenings  and  swops  business  lies  with  Pop,  'specially 
when  Bee  is  here,  but  he  can't  be  clever.  Ma  says  he 
don't  even  know  enough  to  be  sure  which  girl  he  wants. 
They  is  two  of  them,  and  I  like  Lou  best." 

"  Why  ?  "  I  asked,  because  the  urchin  seemed  to  ex- 


A    PRAIRIE    STUDY  99 

pect  some  comment;  and  he  proceeded  to  convince  me. 
"  They  is  both  pretty,  but  Lou  is  nicest.  I  found  it  out 
one  day  I'd  been  eating  corduroy  candy,  and  Bee  she 
just  dropped  me  when  I  got  up  on  her  knee.  She  didn't 
say  anything,  but  she  looked  considerable.  Then  I  went 
to  Lou,  and  she  picked  me  up  and  gave  me  nicer  candies 
out  of  a  gilt-edge  box.  Ma  says  she  must  have  been 
an  angel,  because  her  dress  was  all  sticky,  and  I  think 
she  is.  There  was  one  just  like  her  with  silver  wings 
in  the  church  at  Sault  Chaudiere.  One  night  Ma  and 
them  was  talking  'bout  you,  and  Bee  sits  quite  still  as 
if  she  didn't  care,  but  she  was  listening.  Lou,  she  says: 
'  Poor '  I  don't  think  it  was  poor  devil." 

"  Do  you  know  where  little  boys  who  tell  all  they 
hear  go  to?"  I  asked;  and  Leyland  junior  pointed  to  a 
dusky  sail  that  showed  up  behind  the  island  before  he 
answered  wearily :  "  You  make  me  tired.  I've  been 
asked  that  one  before.  Here's  Ted  and  the  others  com- 
ing. I'm  off  to  see  what  they  have  brought  for  me." 

He  vanished  among  the  boulders,  and,  filling  my  pipe 
again,  I  kept  still,  feeling  no  great  inclination  to  take 
part  in  the  casual  chatter  of  people  with  whose  customs 
I  had  almost  lost  touch.  I  was  struck  by  the  resem- 
blance of  the  names  the  child  mentioned  to  those  of  Hal- 
dane's  daughters,  but  both  were  tolerably  common,  and 
it  did  not  please  me  that  Mrs.  Leyland  should  make  a 
story  of  my  struggles  for  the  amusement  of  strangers. 
So  some  time  had  passed  before  I  entered  the  veranda 
of  the  little  wooden  house,  and,  as  it  was  only  partially 
lighted  by  a  shaded  lamp,  managed  to  find  a  place  almost 
unobserved  in  a  corner.  Thus  I  had  time  to  recover 
from  my  surprise  at  the  sight  of  Beatrice  and  Lucille 
Haldane  seated  at  a  little  table  beneath  the  lamp.  Two 
men  I  did  not  know  leaned  against  the  balustrade  close 
at  hand,  and  several  more  were  partly  distinguishable 
in  the  shadows.  From  where  I  sat  some  of  the  figures 
were  projected  blackly  against  a  field  of  azure  and 
silver,  for  the  moon  now  hung  above  the  lake.  Beatrice 
Haldane  was  examining  what  appeared  to  be  a  bound 
collection  of  photographic  reproductions. 


100     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  Yes.  As  Mrs.  Leyland  mentions,  I  have  met  the 
original  of  this  picture,  and  it  is  a  good  one,  though  it 
owes  something  to  the  retoucher,"  she  said;  and  I  saw 
my  hostess  smile  wickedly  at  her  husband  when  some- 
body said :  "  Tell  us  about  him.  How  interesting !  " 

Beatrice  Haldane  answered  lightly :  "  There  is  not 
much  to  tell.  The  allegorical  title  explains  itself,  if  it 
refers  to  the  edict  that  it  is  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow 
man  shall  earn  his  bread,  which  most  of  our  acquaint- 
ances seem  to  have  evaded.  The  West  is  a  hard,  bare 
country,  and  its  inhabitants,  though  not  wholly  uncivil- 
ized, hard  men.  I  should  like  to  send  some  of  our  ama- 
teur athletes  to  march  or  work  with  them.  This  one  is 
merely  a  characteristic  specimen." 

I  wondered  what  the  subject  of  the  picture  was,  but 
waited  an  opportunity  to  approach  the  speaker,  while, 
as  I  did  so,  a  young  man  said :  "  I  should  rather  like 
to  take  up  your  sister's  challenge.  Pulling  the  big  cat- 
boat  across  here  inside  an  hour  without  an  air  of  wind 
was  not  exactly  play ;  but  can  you  tell  us  anything  more 
about  these  tireless  Westerners,  Miss  Lucille?" 

The  younger  girl,  who  sat  quietly,  with  her  hands  in 
her  lap,  looked  up.  "  It  is  the  fashion  never  to  grow 
enthusiastic ;  but  I  am  going  to  tell  you,  Ted.  Those 
men  were  always  in  real  earnest,  and  that  is  why  they 
interested  me;  but  I  shouldn't  take  up  the  challenge  if  I 
were  you.  We  call  this  camping.  They  lie  down  to  sleep 
on  many  a  journey  in  a  snow  trench  under  the  arctic  frost, 
ride  as  carelessly  through  blinding  blizzard  as  summer 
heat,  and,  I  concluded,  generally  work  all  day  and  half 
the  night.  They  are  not  hard  in  any  other  sense,  but  very 
generous,  though  they  sometimes  speak,  as  they  live, 
very  plainly." 

Some  of  the  listeners  appeared  amused,  others  half- 
inclined  to  applaud  the  girl,  and  there  was  a  little  laugh- 
ter when  Miss  Haldane  interposed :  "  This  is  my  sister's 
hobby.  Some  of  them,  you  may  remember,  seem  to  live 
upon  gophers,  Lucille." 

Lucille  Haldane  did  not  appear  pleased  at  this  inter- 
ruption; but  the  flush  of  animation  and  luster  in  her 


A    PRAIRIE    STUDY  101 

eyes  wonderfully  became  her.  "  I  do  not  know  that 
even  gophers  would  be  worse  than  the  canned  goose 
livers  and  other  disgusting  things  we  import  for  their 
weight  in  silver,"  she  said.  "  All  I  saw  in  the  West 
pleased  me,  and,  because  I  am  a  Canadian  first  and  last, 
I  don't  mind  being  smiled  at  for  admitting  that  I  am 
very  glad  I  have  seen  the  men  who  live  there  at 
their  work.  They  are  doing  a  great  deal  for  our 
country." 

"  They  could  not  have  a  stancher  or  prettier  cham- 
pion, my  dear,"  said  a  gray-haired  man  who  sat  near 
me.  "  It  would  be  hard  to  grow  equally  enthusiastic 
about  your  profession,  Ted." 

"  It  is  Miss  Haldane's  genius  which  makes  the  most 
of  everybody's  good  points,"  answered  a  young  man 
with  a  frank  face  and  stalwart  appearance,  turning 
towards  me.  "  I  am  afraid  the  rest  of  us  would  see  only 
a  tired  and  dusty  farmer  who  looked  as  though  twelve 
hours'  sleep  would  be  good  for  him.  What's  your  idea 
of  the  West?  If  I  remember  Mrs.  Leyland  correctly, 
you  come  from  the  land  of  promise,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  We  certainly  work  tolerably  hard  out  there,  but  it  is 
no  great  credit  to  us  when  we  have  to  choose  between 
that  and  starvation ;  and  the  West  is  the  land  of  disap- 
pointment as  well  as  promise,"  I  answered  dryly. 

The  rest  glanced  around  in  our  direction,  and  Mrs. 
Leyland  laughed  mischievously.  "  If  any  of  you  are 
really  interested,  my  friend  here,  who  came  in  so  quietly, 
would,  I  dare  say,  answer  your  questions.  Let  me  pre- 
sent you,  Rancher  Ormesby." 

I  bowed  as,  endeavoring  to  remember  the  names  that 
followed,  I  moved  towards  the  chair  beside  her  when 
she  beckoned.  It  lay  full  in  the  light,  and  I  noticed 
blank  surprise  in  the  faces  turned  towards  me.  Beatrice 
Haldane  dropped  the  album,  and  for  some  reason  the 
clear  rose  color  surged  upwards  from  her  sister's  neck. 
I  stooped  to  recover  the  book,  which  lay  open,  and  then 
stared  at  it  with  astonishment  and  indignation,  for  the 
face  of  the  man  standing  beside  a  weary  team,  waist- 
deep  in  the  tall  grass  of  a  slough,  was  unmistakably  my 


102   THE  MISTRESS  OF  BONAVENTURE 

own.  I  had  forgotten  the  click  of  the  camera  shutter 
that  hot  morning. 

"  It  was  hardly  fair  of  my  hostess  not  to  warn  me, 
and  this  print  was  published  without  my  knowledge  or 
consent,"  I  said.  "  Still,  it  shows  how  we  earn  a  living 
in  my  country,  and  I  can  really  tell  you  little  more.  We 
resemble  most  other  people  in  that  we  chiefly  exert  our- 
selves under  pressure  of  necessity — and  one  would  prefer 
to  forget  that  fact  during  a  brief  holiday." 

The  listeners  either  smiled  or  nodded  good-humoredly, 
and  it  was  Lucille  Haldane  who  held  out  her  hand  to 
me,  while  her  elder  sister  returned  my  salutation  with 
a  civility  which  was  distinct  from  cordiality.  How  Mrs. 
Leyland  changed  the  situation  I  do  not  remember,  nor 
how,  when  some  of  the  party  were  inspecting  fire-flies 
in  the  grasses  by  the  lake,  I  found  myself  beside  Beatrice 
Haldane  at  the  end  of  the  veranda.  I  had  schooled  my- 
self in  preparation  for  a  possible  meeting,  but  she  looked 
so  beautiful  with  the  moonlight  on  her  that  I  spoke  rashly. 

"  We  parted  good  friends — but  no  one  could  have 
hoped  you  felt  the  slightest  pleasure  at  the  present 
meeting." 

"  Frankness  is  sometimes  irksome  to  both  speaker  and 
listener,"  said  the  girl,  turning  her  dark  eyes  upon  me 
steadily.  "  Can  you  not  be  satisfied  with  the  possibility 
of  your  being  mistaken  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered  doggedly,  and  she  smiled.  "  Then 
suppose  one  admitted  you  had  surmised  correctly  ?  " 

"  I  should  ask  the  cause,"  and  Beatrice  Haldane,  say- 
ing nothing,  looked  a  warning,  which,  being  filled  with 
an  insane  bitterness,  I  would  not  take.  "  It  would  hurt 
me  to  conclude  that  those  you  honored  with  your  friend- 
ship on  the  prairie  would  be  less  welcome  here." 

She  raised  her  head  a  little  with  the  Haldane's  pride, 
which,  though  never  paraded,  was  unmistakable.  "  You 
should  have  learned  to  know  us  better.  Neither  your 
prosperity  nor  the  reverse  would  have  made  any 
difference." 

"  Then  is  there  no  explanation  ?  "  I  asked,  forgetting 
everything  under  the  strain  of  the  moment;  and  it  was 


A    PRAIRIE    STUDY  103 

evident  that  Beatrice  Haldane  shared  her  sister's  courage, 
for,  though  there  was  a  darker  spot  in  the  center  of  her 
cheek,  she  answered  steadily :  "  There  is.  We  are  dis- 
appointed in  you,  Rancher  Ormesby." 

Then,  without  another  word,  she  turned  away,  and 
presently  the  rattle  of  oars  and  a  gleam  of  moonlit  canvas 
told  that  the  catboat  was  returning  across  the  lake. 

"  I  hope  you  have  enjoyed  the  meeting  with  your 
friends,"  said  Mrs.  Leyland,  presently.  "  Very  much,  I 
assure  you,"  I  answered,  with  an  effort  which  I  hope 
will  be  forgiven  me. 


CHAPTER   X 
A   TEMPTATION 

LEYLAND  had  a  weakness  for  what  he  termed  hardening 
himself  by  occasional  feats  of  endurance,  from  which 
it  resulted  that  I  spent  several  days  in  his  company  wan- 
dering, with  a  wholly  unnecessary  load  of  camp  gear 
upon  my  back,  through  a  desolation  of  uncomfortably 
wooded  hills.  Now  it  is  not  easy  for  a  business  man  of 
domesticated  habits  to  emulate  a  pack  mule  and  enjoy  the 
proceeding,  and  when  Mrs.  Leyland,  after  burdening  her 
husband  with  everything  she  could  think  of,  desired  to 
add  a  small  tin  bath,  there  was  little  difficulty  in  predict- 
ing that  our  journey  would  not  be  extensive.  Having 
a  load  of  fifty  pounds  already,  I  ignored  the  suggestion 
that  I  might  carry  the  bath,  and  hurried  Leyland  off 
before  his  spouse  could  further  hamper  us.  One  thick 
blanket,  a  kettle,  and  a  few  pounds  of  provisions  would 
have  amply  sufficed,  so  a  large-sized  tent  seemed  to  be 
distinctly  superfluous,  to  say  nothing  of  the  bag  filled 
with  hair-brushes,  towels,  and  scented  soap. 

Leyland  commenced  the  march  with  enthusiasm, 
and  certainly  presented  a  picturesque  appearance  as 
he  plodded  along  in  leather  jacket  and  fringed  leggings, 
with  the  folded  tent  upon  his  shoulders  and  a  collec- 
tion of  tin  utensils  jingling  about  him.  I  was  some- 
what similarly  caparisoned,  and,  because  it  would  have 
hurt  his  feelings,  I  overcame  the  temptation  to  fling  half 
my  load  into  a  creek  we  crossed,  though  this  would  have 
greatly  pleased  me.  A  fourth  of  the  weight  would  have 
sufficed  for  a  two-hundred-mile  journey  in  the  West. 

"  There  is  nothing  like  judicious  exercise  for  bracing 
one's  whole  system,"  panted  my  companion,  when  we 
had  covered  the  first  league  in  two  hours  or  so.  "  How 
a  wide  prospect  like  this  rests  the  vision.  Say,  can't 
we  sit  down  and  enjoy  it  a  little?  " 

104 


A    TEMPTATION  105 

I  nodded  agreement,  and  we  spent  most  of  that  day 
in  sitting  down  and  smoking,  while,  as  it  happened,  a 
sudden  breeze  blew  the  tent  over  upon  us  at  midnight, 
and  anybody  who  has  crawled  clear  of  the  thrashing 
canvas  in  such  circumstances  can  guess  what  followed. 
Leyland,  as  generally  happens,  wriggled  headforemost 
into  what  might  be  termed  the  pocket  of  the  net,  and  it 
cost  me  some  trouble  to  extricate  him.  Next  morning 
he  awoke  with  a  toothache  and  general  shortness  of 
temper,  as  a  result  of  trying  to  sleep  in  the  rain,  and 
appeared  much  less  certain  about  the  benefits  to  be  de- 
rived from  such  excursions. 

"  If  you  will  let  me  pick  out  the  few  things  we  really 
want  and  throw  the  rest  away,  I'll  engage  that  you  will 
enjoy  the  remainder  of  the  march,"  I  said. 

"  I  wish  I  could,  but  it  can't  be  done,"  and  Leyland, 
staring  ruefully  at  his  load,  shook  his  head.  '  'Twoi- 
nette's  so — so  blamed  systematic,  and  if  one  of  those 
brushes  was  missing  she'd  have  to  start  in  from  the 
beginning  with  a  whole  new  toilet  outfit.  Of  course, 
you  don't  understand  these  things  yet,  but  you  will  some 
day.  A  wife  with  cultured  tastes  requires  to  be  con- 
sidered accordingly." 

I  was  resting  on  one  elbow  gazing  up  between  the 
pine  branches  at  the  blue  of  the  sky,  with  the  clean- 
scented  needles  crackling  under  me,  and  made  no  an- 
swer. Nevertheless,  it  struck  me  that  I  might  find  too 
much  culture  irksome,  especially  if  it  implied  that  I 
must  carry  half  my  household  sundries  upon  my  back 
whenever  I  started  on  an  expedition.  Hitherto  I  had 
not  considered  this  side  of  the  question  when  indulg- 
ing in  certain  roseate  visions,  but  as  Leyland  spoke 
there  opened  up  unpleasant  possibilities  of  having  to 
stand  by,  a  mere  director,  clear  of  the  heat  and  dust 
of  effort,  and  pay  others  to  do  the  work  I  found  pleasure 
in.  Then  as  I  reflected  that  there  was  small  need  to 
trouble  about  such  eventualities,  a  face,  that  was  not 
Beatrice  Haldane's,  rose  up  before  my  fancy.  It  was 
forceful  as  well  as  pretty,  quick  to  express  sympathy  and 
enthusiasm ;  and  I  decided  that  the  man  who  won  Lucille 


106     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Haldane  would  have  a  helpmate  who  would  encourage 
instead  of  restrain  his  energies,  and,  if  need  be,  take  her 
place  beside  him  in  the  struggle.  Then  I  dismissed  the 
subject  as  having  nothing  to  do  with  me. 

Leyland  seemed  loath  to  resume  his  rambles,  and  on 
the  following  morning,  after  he  had,  I  fancy,  lain  awake 
abusing  the  mosquitoes  all  night,  his  patience  broke 
down.  "  I'm  getting  too  old  to  enjoy  this  description 
of  picnic  as  I  used  to,"  he  said.  "  The  fact  is,  if  I  mule 
this  confounded  bric-a-brac  around  much  longer  I  shall 
drop  in  my  tracks." 

"  Shall  we  turn  back?"  I  asked  him. 

The  tired  man  shook  his  head.  "  We'll  strike  for 
water,  and  if  we  can't  find  a  canoe  anywhere  you  can 
build  a  raft.  I  wouldn't  crawl  through  any  more  of 
those  muskegs  for  a  thousand  dollars." 

I  had  no  objections,  and  Leyland's  comments  became 
venomous  during  the  march,  for  the  lake  was  distant, 
and  the  pine  woods  thick.  He  fell  into  thickets,  and 
shed  his  burden  broadcast  across  the  face  of  each  steeper 
descent,  so  that  it  cost  us  many  minutes  to  collect  it 
again,  and  once  we  spent  an  hour  in  the  mire  of  a  muskeg 
on  hands  and  knees  in  search  of  a  vine-pattern  mustard 
spoon.  Leyland,  who  became  profane  during  the  pro- 
ceedings, said  his  wife  might  consider  that  its  loss  would 
destroy  the  harmony  of  a  whole  dinner  service.  At  last, 
however — my  comrade,  panting  heavily,  and  progressing 
with  a  crab-like  gait,  because  he  had  wrenched  one  knee 
and  blistered  a  heel — the  broad  lake  showed  up  beneath 
the  blazing  maple  leaves  ahead.  They  were  donning 
their  full  glories  of  gold  and  crimson  before  the  coming 
of  the  frost. 

"  Thank  heaven ! "  said  Leyland  with  fervent  sin- 
cerity. "  I'll  sit  here  forever  unless  you  can  find  some- 
thing that  will  float  me  home." 

He  limped  on  until  we  were  clear  of  the  trees,  and  then 
flung  himself  down  among  the  boulders  with  a  gasp  of 
relief,  for  fortune  had  treated  him  kindly.  There  was  a 
fresh  breeze  blowing,  and  the  broad  stretch  of  water  was 
streaked  by  lines  of  frothy  white;  but  we  had  come  out 


A    TEMPTATION  107 

upon  a  sheltered  bay,  and  a  big  catboat  lay  moored  be- 
neath a  ledge.  A  group  of  figures  rose  from  about  a 
crackling  fire,  there  was  a  shout  of  recognition,  and  the 
young  man  I  had  been  introduced  to  as  Ted  Caryl  came 
forward  to  greet  us. 

"Just  in  time!  The  kettle's  boiling;  but  have  you 
been  practicing  for  a  strong-man  circus,  Leyland?"  he 
said.  My  companion,  still  retaining  his  recumbent  posi- 
tion, answered  dryly :  "  I  have  been  taking  exercise  and 
diverting  myself." 

"  So  one  might  have  fancied  from  your  exhilarated 
appearance,"  commented  Caryl.  "  We  can  give  you  a 
passage  home  by  water  if  you  have  had  enough  of  it." 

"  I'll  go  no  other  way  if  I  have  to  swim,"  said  Leyland 
grimly. 

Then  the  younger  man  turned  to  me :  "  Do  you  happen 
to  know  anything  about  seamanship  ?  " 

"  I  spent  all  my  spare  time  as  a  youngster  helping 
to  sail  small  craft  on  the  English  coast,  and  was  con- 
sidered a  fair  helmsman  for  my  age,"  I  said;  and  Caryl 
patted  my  shoulder  approvingly. 

"  It's  a  mercy,  because  I  know  just  next  to  nothing. 
Put  up  as  a  yacht  club  member,  and  bought  this  craft — 
she's  a  daisy — for  five  hundred  dollars  to  give  the  girls 
a  sail.  Brought  them  down,  with  a  light  fair  wind, 
smart  enough,  but  though  it's  gone  round,  the  thing 
don't  steer  the  way  she  ought  to  in  a  breeze.  So  I've 
been  getting  mighty  anxious  as  to  how  I'm  to  take  them 
home  again,  and  feel  too  scared  to  say  so." 

I  looked  at  the  craft,  which  was  a  half-decked  boat, 
evidently  fitted  with  a  center-board,  of  the  broad-beamed 
shallow  type  common  on  the  American  coast.  She  car- 
ried no  bowsprit,  her  lofty  mast  was  stepped  almost  in 
her  bows,  and  the  combination  of  heavy  spars,  short  body, 
and  wide,  flat  stern,  presaged  difficulties  for  an  unskilled 
helmsman  when  running  before  any  strength  of  breeze. 
"  I  think  you  have  some  reason  for  your  misgivings,"  I 
said.  "  If  the  wind  freshens  much  I  should  almost  rec- 
ommend you  to  camp  here  all  night." 

We  had  by  this  time  approached  the  fire,  and  I  noticed, 


108     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

with  a  slight  inward  hesitation,  that  Haldane's  daughter 
and  an  elderly  lady  were  busy  preparing  tea.  Perhaps 
it  was  this  which  prevented  Beatrice  from  noticing  me, 
but  Lucille  came  forward  and  greeted  us.  "  You  have 
arrived  at  an  opportune  moment.  Supper  is  just  about 
ready,  and  if  it  is  not  so  good  as  the  one  you  gave  us  at 
Gaspard's  Trail,  we  will  try  to  do  our  best  for  you," 
she  said. 

"  Have  you  not  forgotten  that  evening  yet  ?  "  I  asked. 
A  transitory  expression  I  did  not  quite  comprehend  be- 
came visible  in  the  girl's  face  when  she  answered  my 
smile.  It  was  pleasant  to  think  she  recalled  the  evening 
of  which  I  had  not  forgotten  the  smallest  incident. 

"  It  was  something  so  new  to  me,  and  you  were  all  so 
kind,"  she  said. 

There  was  dismay  when  Caryl  announced  my  opinion, 
though  the  rest  decided  to  postpone  a  decision  in  the 
hope  that  the  weather  might  improve,  and  it  seemed 
useless  to  inform  them  that  the  reverse  appeared  more 
probable.  A  pine  forest  rolled  down  to  the  water's  edge, 
and  when  the  meal  had  been  dispatched  I  lounged  with 
my  back  against  a  tree,  when  Leyland  came  up.  "  You 
look  uncommonly  lazy — more  played  out  than  I.  We 
want  you  to  enjoy  your  stay  with  us,  and  I  hope  I  have 
not  tired  you,"  he  said. 

I  laughed  a  little,  because  Leyland  was  hardly  likely 
to  tire  any  man  fresh  from  the  arduous  life  of  the  prairie. 
"  It's  an  oasis  in  the  desert,  and  you  have  made  me  so 
comfortable  that  I  shall  almost  shrink  from  going  back," 
I  said,  truthfully  enough ;  for,  before  I  left,  the  strain  at 
Gaspard's  Trail  had  grown  acute. 

"  Then  what  do  you  want  to  go  back  for,  anyway  ?  " 
asked  Leyland,  who  during  the  afternoon  had  made 
several  pertinent  inquiries  concerning  my  affairs. 
"  There  are  chances  for  a  live  man  in  the  cities — in 
fact  I  know  of  one  or  two.  No  doubt  for  a  time  it's 
experience,  but  it  strikes  me  that  this  cattle  roasting 
and  losing  of  grain  crops  must  mean  a  big  loss  of  oppor- 
tunities as  well  as  grow  monotonous." 

Leyland,   I   fancied,  had  not  previously  noticed  that 


A    TEMPTATION  109 

Miss  Haldane  was  seated  on  a  fallen  log  close  beside 
us,  and  in  the  circumstances  I  was  by  no  means  pleased 
when  he  turned  to  her.  "  Don't  you  think  everybody 
should  make  the  most  of  all  that's  in  them?"  he 
asked. 

Somewhat  to  my  surprise  the  girl  looked  straight  at 
me  as  she  answered :  "  Considering  the  question  in  the 
abstract,  I  agree  with  you.  It  seems  to  me  the  duty  of 
every  man  with  talents  to  take  the  place  he  was  meant 
for  among  his  peers  instead  of  frittering  them  away." 

There  was  an  unusual  earnestness  in  what  she  said, 
which  both  surprised  me  and  reminded  me  of  the  days 
in  England;  for  Beatrice  Haldane's  conversation  had 
latterly  been  marked  by  a  somewhat  cynical  languidness. 
Nevertheless,  the  inference  nettled  me. 

"  Talent  is  a  somewhat  vague  term ;  but  suppose  any 
unprofessional  person  possessed  it,  what  career  among 
the  thick  of  his  fellows  would  you  recommend — the 
acquisition  of  money  on  the  markets,  or  politics?  Both 
are  closed  to  the  poor  man,"  I  said. 

It  may  have  been  fancy,  but  a  faint  angry  sparkle 
seemed  to  creep  into  Miss  Haldane's  eyes  as  she  an- 
swered :  "  Are  there  no  others  ?  It  seems  to  me  the 
place  for  such  a  person  is  where  civilization  moves  fastest 
in  the  cities.  Whether  we  progress  towards  good  or 
evil  you  cannot  move  back  the  times,  and  it  is  force  of 
intellect,  or  successful  scheming  if  you  will,  which  com- 
mands the  best  the  world  can  offer  now.  As  an  outside 
observer,  it  seems  to  me  that,  considering  the  tendency 
towards  centralization  and  combinations  of  capital,  the 
individual  who,  refusing  to  accept  the  altered  conditions, 
insists  on  remaining  an  independent  unit,  must  soon  go 
under  or  take  a  helot's  place.  Don't  you  think  so,  Mr. 
Leyland?" 

"  That's  what  I  mean,  but  you  have  put  it  more  clearly," 
said  Leyland  approvingly.  "  I  was  hoping  Ormesby 
might  see  it  that  way." 

Understanding  my  host's  manner  I  guessed  that  if 
I  hinted  at  acquiescence  this  would  lead  up  to  a  definite 
offer,  and  it  appeared  that  both,  in  their  own  way,  were 


110     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

bent  on  persuading  me.  The  temptation  was  alluring, 
when  disaster  appeared  imminent,  and  I  afterwards  won- 
dered how  it  was  I  did  not  yield.  Wounded  pride  or 
sheer  obstinacy  may,  however,  have  restrained  me,  for 
one  of  the  most  bitter  things  is  to  own  one's  self  beaten ; 
but  even  then  I  felt  that  my  place  was  on  the  prairie. 
On  the  one  hand  there  was  only  the  prospect  of  grinding 
care  and  often  brutal  labor,  which  wore  the  body  to  ex- 
haustion and  blunted  the  mental  faculties ;  on  the  other, 
at  least  some  rest  and  leisure,  contact  with  culture  and 
refinement,  and  perhaps  even  yet  a  vague  possibility  of 
drawing  nearer  to  the  woman  beside  me.  At  that  mo- 
ment, however,  Lucille  Haldane  halted  in  front  of  us, 
and  the  trifling  incident  helped  to  turn  the  scale.  Young 
as  she  was,  her  views  were  mine,  and  for  some  unfathom- 
able reason  I  shook  off  what  seemed  a  weak  tendency  to 
yield  when  I  met  her  gaze. 

"  It  will  be  a  bad  day  for  the  Dominion  when  what  is 
happening  across  the  frontier  becomes  general  here," 
I  said.  "  It  is  the  number  of  independent  units  which 
makes  for  the  real  prosperity  of  this  country,  and  the 
suggestion  that  there  is  only  scope  for  intellect  and  force 
of  will  in  the  cities  can  hardly  pass  unchallenged.  The 
smallest  wheat  grower  has  to  use  the  same  foresight  in 
his  degree  as  a  railroad  financier,  and  it  probably  requires 
more  stamina  to  hold  out  against  bad  seasons  and  the 
oppression  of  scheming  land-grabbers  than  is  requisite, 
say,  in  engineering  a  grain  corner  against  adverse  markets. 
Then,  if  one  gets  back  to  principles,  does  it  not  appear 
that  the  poorest  breaker  of  virgin  land  who  calls  wheat 
up  out  of  the-  idle  sod  is  of  more  use  to  the  community 
than  the  gambler  in  his  produce  who  creates  nothing  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  use  arguing  with  any  man  who  thinks 
that  way,"  said  Leyland  solemnly,  and  Beatrice  Haldane 
laughed;  but  whether  at  his  comment  or  at  my  opinion 
did  not  appear. 

"  Here  is  an  ally  for  you.  You  are  looking  very  wise, 
Lucille,"  she  said  languidly. 

"  I  did  not  hear  all  you  said,  but  I  think  Mr.  Ormesby 
is  partly  right,"  was  the  frank  answer.  "  I  just  stopped 


A    TEMPTATION  111 

on  my  way  to  the  boat  to  get  some  wrappings.  It  soon 
grows  chilly." 

The  girl  refused  our  offers  of  assistance.  Somebody 
called  Leyland  away,  and  I  was  left  alone,  possibly 
against  both  our  wishes,  in  Beatrice  Haldane's  company. 
Still,  it  was  an  opportunity  that  might  not  occur  again, 
and  I  determined  to  turn  it  to  good  account. 

"  Although  you  expressed  strong  disapproval  not  long 
ago,  one  could  have  fancied  you  were  not  speaking  from 
a  wholly  impersonal  standpoint  and  meant  to  give  me 
good  advice,"  I  said. 

The  spirit  which  had  carried  Haldane  triumphantly 
through  commercial  panic  was  not  lacking  in  either  of 
his  daughters,  and  the  elder  one  quietly  took  up  the 
challenge.  "  Perhaps  the  other  could  not  be  thrust  aside, 
and  I  have  wondered  whether  you  are  wise  in  staking 
all  your  future  on  the  chances  of  success  on  the  prairie. 
There  are  greater  possibilities  in  the  busy  world  that  lies 
before  you  now,  but  presently  habit  and  the  force  of 
associations  will  bind  you  to  the  soil,  and  you  must  re- 
main a  raiser  of  cattle  and  sower  of  grain.  Is  it  not 
possible  for  the  monotony  and  drudgery  to  drag  one  down 
to  a  steadily  sinking  level  ?  " 

The  words  stung  me.  I  had  done  my  best  in  my  voca- 
tion, and  it  seemed  had  failed  therein.  Neither  was  it 
impossible  that  the  last  sentence  possessed  a  definite 
meaning,  and  suppressed  longing  and  resentment  against 
the  pressure  of  circumstances  held  me  silent  after  I  had 
managed  to  check  the  rash  answer  that  rose  to  my  lips. 
Then  a  shout  broke  through  the  pause  which  followed, 
and  Beatrice  Haldane  sprang  to  her  feet.  "  Lucille  has 
set  the  boat  adrift !  Go  and  help  her  if  you  can ! "  she 
said. 

A  glance  showed  me  the  catboat  sliding  out  towards 
open  water  before  the  angry  white  ripples  that  crisped 
the  little  bay,  for  here  the  wind,  deflected  by  a  hollow, 
blew  freshly  off-shore.  A  slight  white-clad  figure  stood 
on  the  fore  deck,  and  I  shouted :  "  Jump  down  and  fling 
the  anchor  over !  " 

"  There  is  no  anchor !  "  the  answer  reached  me  faintly ; 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and  I  set  off  across  a  strip  of  shingle  and  boulders  at 
a  floundering  run. 

The  rest  of  the  company  were  gathered  in  dismay 
upon  a  rocky  ledge  when  I  came  up,  and  Caryl  tore 
off  his  jacket.  Leyland  turned  to  me,  with  consternation 
in  his  face,  as  he  said :  "  Ted  must  have  tied  some  fool 
knot  and  she's  blowing  right  out  across  the  lake.  None 
of  us  can  swim." 

"  It's  my  fault,  and  I'm  going  to  try,  anyway.  The 
water  cannot  be  deep  inside  here,"  gasped  the  valiant 
Caryl. 

I  saw  that,  for  inland  waters,  a  tolerable  sea  was 
running  where  the  true  wind  blew  straight  down  the 
lake,  sufficient  to  endanger  the  catboat  if  she  drifted 
without  control  athwart  it.  There  was  evidently  no 
time  to  lose,  and  I  turned  angrily  upon  Caryl.  "  If  you 
jump  in  here  you  will  certainly  drown,  and  that  will  help 
nobody,"  I  said. 

Then,  seeing  some  feet  of  water  below  the  ledge,  I 
launched  myself  out  headforemost.  The  ripples  ran 
white  behind  me  when  I  rose,  and  there  was  no  great 
difficulty  in  swimming  down-wind,  even  when  cumbered 
by  clothing;  but  the  boat's  side  and  mast  exposed  con- 
siderable surface  to  the  blast,  and  she  had  blown  some 
distance  to  leeward  before  I  overtook  her.  It  also  cost 
me  time  and  labor  to  crawl  on  board — an  operation  diffi- 
cult in  deep  water — but  it  was  accomplished,  and,  turn- 
ing to  the  girl,  I  said  cheerfully :  "  You  need  not  be 
frightened.  We  shall  beat  back  in  a  few  minutes  if 
you  will  help  me." 

Lucille  Haldane  showed  the  courage  she  had  showed 
one  snowy  night  at  Bonaventure,  for  there  was  con- 
fidence in  her  face  as  she  answered :  "  I  will  do  whatever 
you  tell  me,  and  I'm  not  in  the  least  afraid." 


CHAPTER   XI 
IN    PERIL   OF  THE   WATERS 

AGAIN  I  hazarded  a  glance  about  me.  The  shallow- 
draughted  craft  had  already  drifted  a  distance  off-shore, 
and  was  listing  over  under  the  pressure  of  the  wind  upon 
her  lofty  mast.  The  white  ripples  had  grown  to  short 
angry  surges,  and  because  darkness  was  approaching  and 
the  narrow  bay  difficult  to  work  into,  it  was  evident  we 
must  lose  no  time  in  getting  back  again.  There  was  no 
anchor  on  board,  and  if  I  reefed  the  sail  (or  rolled  up 
the  foot  of  it  to  reduce  the  area)  the  boat  would  mean- 
while increase  her  distance  from  the  beach.  It  therefore 
seemed  necessary  to  attempt  to  thrash  back  under  the 
whole  mainsail. 

"  Will  you  shove  the  centerboard  down  by  the  iron 
handle,  and  then  take  hold  of  the  tiller,  Miss  Haldane?" 
I  said. 

The  girl,  stooping,  thrust  at  the  handle  projecting 
from  the  trunk  containing  the  drawn-up  center  keel. 
The  iron  plate  should  have  dropped  at  a  touch,  but  did 
not,  and  I  sprang  to  her  side  when  she  said :  "  Some- 
thing must  be  holding  it  fast." 

She  was  right.  Caryl  had  either  bent  the  plate  by 
striking  a  rock  or  a  piece  of  driftwood  had  jammed  into 
the  opening,  for,  do  what  I  would,  the  iron  refused  to 
fall  more  than  a  third  of  its  proper  distance,  and  it  was 
with  a  slight  shock  of  dismay  I  relinquished  the  struggle. 
A  sailing  craft  of  any  description  will  only  work  to  wind- 
ward in  zigzags  diagonally  to  the  breeze,  and  then  only 
provided  there  is  enough  of  her  under  water  to  provide 
lateral  resistance,  which  the  deep  center  keel  should  have 
supplied.  As  it  was,  I  must  attempt  to  remedy  the 
deficiency  by  press  of  canvas  at  the  risk  of  a  capsize. 

Fortunately  my  companion  was  quick-witted  and  cool, 

113 


114     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and,  standing  at  the  helm,  followed  my  instructions 
promptly,  while  I  draged  at  the  halliards,  and  the  loose 
folds  of  sailcloth  rose  thrashing  overhead.  I  was  breath- 
less when  the  sail  was  set,  but  sprang  aft  to  the  helm, 
lifted  the  girl  to  the  weather  deck,  and  perched  myself 
as  high  on  that  side  as  I  could,  with  the  mainsheet  round 
my  left  wrist  and  my  right  hand  on  the  tiller,  wondering 
if  the  mast  would  bear  the  strain.  The  boat  swayed  down 
until  her  leeward  deck  was  buried  in  a  rush  of  foam  and 
her  bending  mast  slanted  half  way  to  the  horizontal. 
Little  clouds  of  spray  shot  up  from  her  weather  bow  as, 
gathering  way,  she  swept  ahead,  and  then  they  gave  place 
to  sheets  of  water,  which  lashed  our  faces,  and,  sluicing 
deep  along  the  decks,  poured  over  the  coaming  ledge 
into  the  open  well.  Still,  we  were  in  comparatively 
smooth  water  where  one  could  risk  a  little,  and  while 
the  straining  mainsheet,  which  I  dare  not  make  fast, 
sawed  into  my  wrist,  I  glanced  at  my  companion.  Her 
hat  was  sodden — already  her  hair  clung  in  soaked  clusters 
to  her  forehead,  and  her  wet  face  showed  white  against 
the  dark  water  which  raced  past  us.  Yet  it  was  still 
confident,  and  her  voice  was  level  as  she  said :  "  Let  me 
help  you.  That  rope  is  cutting  your  wrist." 

I  could  have  smiled  at  the  thought  of  those  slender 
fingers  sharing  that  strain;  but  thinking  it  would  be 
well  to  keep  her  attention  occupied,  nodded,  and  was 
a  trifle  surprised  at  the  relief  when  the  girl  seized  the 
hard  wet  hemp.  "  If  I  say — let  go — life  your  hands  at 
once,"  I  said. 

We  were  now  tearing  through  the  water  at  such  pace 
that  the  boat  flung  a  good  deal  of  what  she  displaced 
all  over  her,  but  a  glance  at  the  dark  pines  ashore  showed 
that  she  was  making  very  little  to  windward,  while,  when 
I  looked  over  my  shoulder  at  the  boiling  wake  astern, 
it  was  too  plainly  evident  that,  owing  to  the  loss  of  the 
centerboard,  we  were  driving  bodily  sideways  as  well  as 
ahead.  Also  the  snowy  froth  which  lapped  higher  up 
the  lee  deck  was  perilously  near  the  coaming  protecting 
the  open  well.  Still,  our  expectant  friends  stood  clus- 
tered among  the  boulders  fringing  one  horn  of  the  bay, 


IN    PERIL    OF    THE    WATERS          115 

and  I  saw  that  Caryl  held  a  rope  in  his  hand.  We  might 
just  pass  within  reach  of  it  on  the  next  tack. 

"  We  must  come  round.  Slip  down,  and  climb  up  on 
the  opposite  side  as  the  sail  swings  over,"  I  said,  carefully 
shoving  the  tiller  down. 

There  was  a  thrashing  of  canvas  as  the  boat  came 
round,  and  I  breathed  more  easily  as,  gathering  way  on 
the  opposite  tack,  she  headed  well  up  for  the  boulder 
point  where  Caryl  was  somewhat  awkwardly  swinging 
the  coil  of  rope.  The  point  drew  nearer  and  nearer, 
and  I  could  see  Beatrice  Haldane  standing  rigidly  still 
against  the  somber  pines,  when,  as  ill-luck  would  have 
it,  the  dark  branches  set  up  a  roaring  as  a  wild  gust  swept 
down.  The  boat  swayed  further  over.  Most  of  her 
forward  was  buried  in  a  rush  of  foam,  and  the  water 
poured  steadily  into  the  well;  but  I  still  held  fast  the 
sheet  which  would  have  loosed  the  sail,  for  we  might 
reach  the  rope  in  another  two  minutes.  The  gust  in- 
creased in  violence.  Foam  and  water  poured  over  the 
coamings  in  cataracts,  and,  seeing  that  otherwise  a 
capsize  was  inevitable,  I  released  the  sheet.  The  canvas 
rattled  furiously,  the  craft  swayed  upright  and  com- 
menced to  blow  away  sternforemost  like  a  feather,  while 
I  dropped  into  the  bottom  of  her,  ankle  deep  in  water. 

"  There  is  no  help  for  it — we  must  reef.  Take  the 
tiller,  and  hold  it — so,"  I  said. 

It  was  not  without  an  effort  I  tied  the  tack,  or  forward 
corner  of  the  mainsail,  down;  then,  floundering  aft, 
hauled  the  afterside  of  it  down  to  the  boom.  That  ac- 
complished and  the  sail  thus  reduced  by  some  two  feet 
all  along  its  foot,  there  remained  to  be  tied  the  row  of 
short  lines,  or  reef  points,  which  would  hold  the  discarded 
portion  when  rolled  up;  and  when  part  of  these  were 
knotted  it  was  with  misgivings  I  leaped  up  on  the  after- 
deck.  The  long,  jerking  boom  projected  a  fathom  be- 
yond the  stern,  and  I  must  hold  on  by  my  toes  while 
leaning  out  over  the  water  as  I  pulled  the  reef  points 
at  that  end  together. 

"  I  am  going  to  trust  you  with  the  safety  of  both  of 
us,  Miss  Haldane,"  I  said.  "  When  you  see  the  boom 


116     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

swing  inwards  pull  the  tiller  towards  you  before  it  flings 
me  off." 

The  girl  had  grown  a  little  paler,  and  her  hands  trem- 
bled on  the  helm,  but  she  answered  without  hesitation: 
"  Don't  be  longer  than  you  can  help — but  I  under- 
stand." 

She  showed  a  fine  intelligence  and  a  perfect  self- 
command,  or  our  voyage  might  have  ended  abruptly ; 
so  the  reefing  was  accomplished,  and  I  resumed  the  helm. 
Meanwhile,  however,  we  had  drifted  well  out  into  the 
lake,  and  a  few  minutes  of  sailing  proved  that  under  her 
reduced  canvas  the  boat  would  not  beat  back  to  the 
windward  shore.  The  figures  among  the  boulders  had 
faded  into  the  deepening  gloom,  but,  assuming  a  cheer- 
fulness I  did  not  feel,  I  said:  "  It  is  quite  impossible  to 
return,  and  as  it  is  growing  too  late  to  look  for  a  safe 
landing  or  path  through  the  bush,  we  must  head  for  home 
and  send  back  horses  for  the  others.  It  will  be  a  fair 
wind." 

"  I  was  afraid  so,"  said  the  girl  with  a  shiver.  "  But 
I  hope  we  shall  not  be  very  long  on  the  way.  We  spent 
five  hours  coming." 

I  knew  we  should  travel  at  a  pace  approaching  a 
steamer's,  provided  the  craft  could  be  kept  from  filling; 
but,  enlarging  upon  the  former  point,  I  tried  to  conceal 
the  latter  possibility,  as  I  put  the  helm  up ;  and  the  craft, 
rising  upright,  but  commencing  to  roll  horribly,  raced 
away  down-wind  towards  open  water.  Once  out  of  the 
point's  shelter,  short  but  angry  waves  raced  white  behind 
her,  for  one  may  find  sufficient  turmoil  of  waters  when 
a  fresh  gale  sweeps  the  Canadian  lakes.  The  rolling 
grew  wilder,  the  long  boom  splashed  heavily  into  the 
white  upheavals  that  surged  by  on  each  side,  and  our 
progress  became  a  series  of  upward  rushes  and  swoops, 
until  at  times  I  feared  the  craft  would  run  her  bows  under 
and  go  down  bodily.  Once  I  caught  my  companion 
glancing  over  the  stern,  and,  knowing  how  ugly  on- 
coming waves  appear  when  they  heave  up  behind  a 
running  vessel,  I  laid  a  hand  on  her  shoulder  and  gently 
turned  her  head  aside. 


IN    PERIL    OF    THE    WATERS          117 

"  There !  You  must  look  only  that  way,  and  tell  me 
if  you  see  any  islands  across  our  course,"  I  said. 

It  was  practically  dark  now,  but  I  could  distinguish  the 
whiteness  of  her  wet  face,  and  see  her  shiver  violently. 
My  jacket  was  spongy,  I  had  nothing  to  wrap  her  in, 
but  she  looked  so  wet  and  pitiful  that  I  drew  her  towards 
me  and  slipped  a  dripping  arm  protectingly  about  her. 
Lucille  Haldane  made  no  demur.  The  wild  rolling,  the 
flying  spray,  and  the  rush  of  short  tumbling  ridges  must 
have  been  sufficiently  terrifying,  and  perhaps  she  found 
the  contact  reassuring. 

One  hand  was  all  I  needed.  There  was  now  nothing 
any  unassisted  man  could  do  except  keep  the  craft  straight 
before  wind  and  sea,  but  it  was  quite  sufficient  for  one 
who  had  lost  much  of  his  dexterity  with  the  tiller,  and 
at  times  the  boat  twisted  on  a  white  crest  in  imminent 
peril  of  rolling  over.  Worse  than  all,  the  waves  that 
smote  the  flat  stern  commenced  to  splash  on  board,  and 
the  water  inside  the  boat  rose  rapidly.  Already  the 
floorings  were  floating,  and  I  dare  not  for  a  second  loose 
the  tiller.  It  was  Lucille  Haldane  who  solved  the  diffi- 
culty. 

"  Is  not  all  that  water  getting  dangerous  ?  "  she  asked, 
with  chattering  teeth ;  and,  knowing  her  keenness,  I  saw 
there  was  no  use  attempting  to  hide  the  fact. 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  so  earlier  ?  "  she  continued. 
"  It  is  only  right  that  I  should  do  my  share,  and  I  can  at 
least  throw  some  of  it  out." 

"  You  are  not  fit  for  such  work,  and  must  sit  still. 
At  this  pace  we  shall  see  the  lights  of  Leyland's  house 
soon,"  I  said,  tightening  my  hold  on  her ;  but  the  girl 
shook  off  my  grasp. 

"  I  am  not  so  helpless  that  I  cannot  make  an  effort  to 
do  what  is  so  necessary,"  she  said.  "  Let  me  go,  Mr. 
Ormesby,  or  I  shall  never  forgive  you.  Where  is  the 
bailer?" 

I  pointed  to  it,  and  even  in  face  of  the  necessity  it  hurt 
me  to  see  her  alternately  kneeling  in  the  water  that 
surged  to  and  fro  and  trying  to  hold  herself  upright  while 
she  raised  and  emptied  the  heavy  bucket.  Often  she 


118     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

upset  its  contents  over  herself  or  me,  and  several  times  a 
lurch  flung  her  cruelly  against  the  coaming;  but  she 
persevered  with  undiminished  courage  until  she  stumbled 
in  a  savage  roll  and  struck  her  head.  Then  she  clung  to 
the  coaming,  the  water  draining  from  her,  and,  not  daring 
to  move  from  the  tiller,  I  could  do  nothing  but  growl 
anathemas  upon  the  boat's  owner,  until  the  girl  sank  down 
in  the  stern  sheets  beside  me. 

"  I  must  rest  a  little,"  she  said.  "  But  what  were  you 
saying,  Mr.  Ormesby?" 

"  Only  that  I  should  like  to  hang  the  man  who  invented 
this  unhandy  rig,  and  Caryl  for  tempting  you  on  board 
such  a  craft,"  I  answered,  hoping  she  had  not  heard  the 
whole  of  my  remarks.  "  You  poor  child,  it  is  shameful 
that  you  should  have  to  do  such  work;  and,  whatever 
happens,  you  shall  not  try  again." 

Her  tresses,  released  from  whatever  bound  them, 
streamed  in  the  wind  about  her,  and  she  seemed  to  shrink 
a  little  from  me  as  she  struggled  with  them.  "  It  is  not 
Caryl's  fault.  I  clumsily  let  the  rope  go  when  I  was 
pulling  the  boat  in,  and  as  it  is  some  little  time  since  I 
was  a  child,  I  do  not  care  to  be  treated  as  one.  Have  I 
not  done  my  best  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  You  have  done  gallantly ;  more  than  many  men  un- 
used to  seamanship — Caryl,  for  instance — could.  All 
this  is  due  to  his  stupidity,"  I  answered ;  and  fancied 
there  was  a  trace  of  resentment  in  her  voice  as  she  said : 
"  Poor  Ted !  He  is  brave  enough,  at  least.  I  know  he 
cannot  swim,  and  yet  he  was  about  to  plunge  into  deep 
water  when  you  stopped  him." 

It  appeared  wholly  ridiculous,  but,  even  then,  Lucille 
Haldane's  defense  of  Caryl  irritated  me.  "  He  is  re- 
sponsible for  all  you  are  suffering,  and  I  can't  forgive 
him  for  it.  Was  that  not  rather  the  action  of  a  lunatic  ?  " 
I  answered  shortly. 

A  wave,  which,  breaking  upon  the  flat  stern,  deluged 
my  shoulders  and  drenched  my  companion  afresh,  cut 
short  the  colloquy ;  but  I  caught  sight  of  a  faint  twinkle 
ahead,  and  restrained  her  with  a  wet  hand  when  she 
would  have  resumed  the  bailing.  It  was  also  by  gentle 


IN    PERIL    OF    THE    WATERS 

force,  for  this  time  she  resisted,  that  I  drew  her  down 
beside  me  so  that  I  partly  shielded  her  from  the  spray, 
and  the  water  came  in  as  it  willed  as  we  drove  onwards 
through  thick  obscurity.  Still,  the  light  rose  higher 
ahead,  and  I  strained  my  eyes  to  catch  the  first  loom  of 
Leyland's  island.  Large  boulders  studded  the  approach 
to  it,  and  we  might  come  to  grief  if  we  struck  one  of 
them. 

It  was  now  blowing  viciously  hard,  the  boat,  half-buried 
in  a  white  smother,  would  scarcely  steer,  and  the  bright 
light  from  a  window  ahead  beat  into  my  eyes,  bewildering 
my  vision.  I  could,  however,  dimly  make  out  pines  loom- 
ing behind  it,  and  the  beat  of  yeasty  surges,  which  warned 
me  it  would  be  risky  to  attempt  a  landing  on  that  beach. 
There  would  be  shelter  on  the  leeward  side  of  the  island, 
but  a  glance  at  the  balloon-like  curves  of  the  lifting  main- 
sail showed  that  we  could  not  clear  its  end  upon  the 
course  we  were  sailing.  We  must  jibe,  or  swing  the 
mainsail  over,  which  might  result  in  a  capsize. 

"  I  want  your  help,  Miss  Haldane.  Go  forward  and 
loose  the  rope  you  will  find  on  your  right-hand  side 
near  the  mast,"  I  said;  and  as  the  girl  obeyed,  the  light 
shone  more  fully  upon  the  dripping  boat.  I  had  a  mo- 
mentary vision  of  several  dark  figures  on  the  varanda, 
and  then,  while  I  held  my  breath,  saw  only  the  slight 
form  of  the  girl,  with  draggled  dress  and  wet  hair  stream- 
ing, swung  out  above  the  whiteness  of  rushing  foam 
as  she  wrenched  at  the  halliard,  which  had  fouled.  Then 
the  head  of  the  sail  swung  down,  and  as  she  came  back 
panting,  the  steering  demanded  all  my  attention. 

"  Hold  fast  to  the  coaming  here,"  I  said,  as,  dragging 
with  might  and  main  at  the  sheet,  I  put  the  tiller  up. 

The  craft  twisted  upon  her  heel,  the  sail  swung  aloft, 
and  then,  while  the  sheet  rasped  through  my  fingers, 
chafing  the  skin  from  them,  there  was  a  heavy  crash  as 
the  boom  lurched  over.  The  boat  swayed  wildly  under 
its  impetus,  buried  one  side  deep,  and  a  shout,  which 
might  have  been  a  cry  of  consternation,  reached  me 
faintly.  Then  she  shook  herself  free,  and  reeled  away 
into  the  blackness  on  a  different  course. 


120     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

The  head  of  the  island  swept  by,  and  we  shot  into 
smoother  water  with  a  spit  of  shingle  ahead,  on  which 
I  ran  the  craft  ashore,  and  it  was  with  sincere  relief  I 
felt  the  shock  of  her  kneel  upon  the  bottom.  Lucille 
Haldane  said  something  I  did  not  hear  while  she  lay  limp 
and  wet  and  silent  in  my  arms,  as,  floundering  nearly 
waist-deep,  I  carried  her  ashore  and  then  towards  a  path 
which  led  to  the  house.  The  night  was  black,  the  way 
uneven,  but  perhaps  because  I  was  partly  dazed  I  did  not 
set  down  my  burden.  She  had  helped  me  bravely,  and 
it  was  only  now,  when  the  peril  had  passed,  I  knew  how 
very  fearful  I  had  been  for  her  safety.  Indeed,  it  was 
hard  to  realize  she  was  yet  free  from  danger,  and  in  obedi- 
ence to  some  unreasoning  instinct  I  still  held  her  fast,  until 
she  slipped  from  my  grasp.  A  few  minutes  later  a  light 
twinkled  among  the  trees,  voices  reached  us,  and  Hal- 
dane, followed  by  several  others,  came  up  with  a  lantern. 

He  stooped  and  kissed  his  daughter,  then,  turning,  held 
out  his  hand  to  me.  "  Thank  God ! — but  where  is  Bea- 
trice ?  "  he  said. 

I  told  him,  my  teeth  rattling  as  I  spoke,  and  without 
further  words  we  went  on  towards  the  house.  Never- 
theless, the  fervent  handclasp  and  quiver  in  Haldane's 
voice  were  sufficiently  eloquent.  When  we  entered  the 
house,  where  Mrs.  Leyland  took  charge  of  Lucille,  Hal- 
dane, asking  very  few  questions,  looked  hard  at  me. 
"  I  shall  not  forget  this  service,"  he  said  quietly.  "  In 
the  meantime  get  into  some  of  Leyland's  things  as  quickly 
as  you  can.  We  are  going  to  pull  the  boat  ashore  under 
shelter  of  the  island  and  requisition  a  wagon  at  Rideau's 
farm.  I  believe  we  can  reach  the  others  by  an  old  lum- 
bermen's trail." 

It  was  in  vain  I  offered  my  services  as  guide.  Haldane 
would  not  accept  them,  and  set  out  with  the  assistants 
whom,  fearing  some  accident,  he  had  brought  with  him, 
while  I  had  changed  into  dry  clothing  when  his  daughter 
came  in.  What  she  had  put  on  I  do  not  know,  but  it 
was  probably  something  of  Mrs.  Leyland's  intended  for 
evening  wear ;  and,  in  contrast  to  her  usual  almost  girlish 
attire,  it  became  her.  She  had  suddenly  changed,  as  it 


IN    PERIL    OF    THE    WATERS 

were,  into  a  woman.  Her  dark  lashes  were  demurely 
lowered,  but  her  eyes  were  shining. 

"  You  are  none  the  worse,"  I  said,  drawing  out  a 
chair  for  her ;  and  she  laughed  a  little. 

"  None ;  and  I  even  ventured  to  appear  in  this  fashion 
lest  you  should  think  so.  I  also  wanted  to  thank  you  for 
taking  care  of  me." 

Lucille  Haldane's  voice  was  low  and  very  pleasant 
to  listen  to,  but  I  wondered  why  I  should  feel  such  a 
thrill  of  pleasure  as  I  heard  it. 

"  Shouldn't  it  be  the  reverse?  You  deserve  the  thanks 
for  the  way  you  helped  me,  though  I  am  sorry  it  was 
necessary  you  should  do  what  you  did.  Let  me  see  your 
hands,"  I  said. 

She  tried  to  slip  them  out  of  sight,  but  I  was  too 
quick  and,  seizing  one,  held  it  fast,  feeling  ashamed  and 
sorry  as  I  looked  down  at  it.  The  hard  ropes  had  torn 
the  soft  white  skin,  and  the  rim  of  the  bucket  or  the 
coaming  had  left  dark  bruises.  Admiration,  mingled 
with  pity,  forced  me  to  add :  "  It  was  very  cruel.  I  called 
you  child.  You  are  the  bravest  woman  I  ever  met !  " 

The  damask  tinge  deepened  a  little  in  her  cheeks,  and 
she  strove  to  draw  the  hand  away,  but  I  held  it  fast, 
continuing :  "  No  man  could  have  behaved  more  pluckily ; 
but — out  of  curiosity — were  you  not  just  a  little 
frightened  ?  " 

The  lashes  fell  lower,  and  I  was  not  sure  of  the  smile 
beneath  them.  "  I  was,  at  first,  very  much  so ;  but  not 
afterwards.  I  thought  I  could  trust  you  to  take  care 
of  me." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  seemed  very  brutal ;  but  I  would  have 
given  my  life  to  keep  you  safe,"  I  said.  "  That,  however, 
would  have  been  very  little  after  all.  It  is  not  worth 
much  just  now  to  anybody." 

I  was  ashamed  of  the  speech  afterwards,  especially 
the  latter  part  of  it,  but  it  was  wholly  involuntary,  and 
the  events  of  the  past  few  hours  had  drawn,  as  it  were, 
a  bond  of  close  comradeship  between  my  companion  in 
peril  and  myself. 

"  I  think  you  are  wrong,  but  I  am  glad  you  have 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

spoken,  because  I  wanted  to  express  my  sympathy,  and 
feared  to  intrude,"  she  said.  "  We  heard  that  bad  times 
had  overtaken  you  and  your  neighbors,  and  were  very 
sorry.  Still,  they  cannot  last  forever,  and  you  will  not 
be  beaten.  You  must  not  be,  to  justify  the  belief  father 
and  I  have  in  you." 

The  words  were  very  simple,  but  there  was  a  na'ive 
sincerity  about  them  which  made  them  strangely  com- 
forting, while  I  noticed  that  Mrs.  Leyland,  who  came  in 
just  then,  looked  at  us  curiously.  I  sat  out  upon  the 
veranda  until  late  that  night,  filled  with  a  contentment 
I  could  not  quite  understand.  To  have  rendered  some 
assistance  to  Beatrice  Haldane's  sister  and  won  her 
father's  goodwill  seemed,  however,  sufficient  ground  for 
satisfaction,  and  I  decided  that  this  must  be  the  cause 
of  it. 

The  rest  of  the  party  returned  overland  next  day,  and 
during  the  afternoon  Haldane  said  to  me :  "  I  may  as  well 
admit  that  I  have  heard  a  little  about  your  difficulties, 
and  Leyland  has  been  talking  to  me.  If  you  don't  mind 
the  plain  speaking,  one  might  conclude  that  you  are 
somewhat  hardly  pressed.  Well,  it  seems  to  me  that 
certain  incidents  have  given  me  a  right  to  advise  or  help 
you,  and  if  you  are  disposed  to  let  the  mortgaged  property 
go,  I  don't  think  there  would  be  any  great  difficulty  in 
finding  an  opening  for  you.  There  are  big  homesteads 
in  your  region  financed  by  Eastern  capital." 

He  spoke  with  sincerity  and  evident  goodwill ;  but  un- 
fortunately Haldane  was  almost  the  last  person  from 
whom  I  could  accept  a  favor.  "  I  am,  while  grateful, 
not  wholly  defeated,  and  mean  to  hold  on,"  I  said. 
"  Would  you,  for  instance,  quietly  back  out  of  a  conflict 
with  some  wealthy  combine  and  leave  your  opponents  a 
free  hand  to  collect  the  plunder?" 

Haldane  smiled  dryly.  "  It  would  depend  on  circum- 
stances ;  but  in  a  general  way  I  hardly  think  I  should," 
he  said.  "  You  will,  however,  remember  advice  was 
mentioned,  and  I  believe  there  are  men  who  would  value 
my  counsel." 

I  shook  my  head.     "  Heaven  knows  what  the  end  will 


IN    PERIL    OF    THE    WATERS 

be ;  but  I  must  worry  through  this  trouble  my  own  way," 
I  said. 

Haldane  was  not  offended,  and  did  not  seem  surprised. 
"  You  may  be  wrong,  or  you  may  be  right ;  but  if  you 
and  your  neighbors  are  as  hard  to  plunder  as  you  are 
slow  to  take  a  favor,  the  other  gentlemen  will  probably 
earn  all  they  get,"  he  said.  "  I  presume  you  have  no 
objections  to  my  wishing  you  good  luck?  " 

It  was  the  next  evening  when  I  met  Beatrice  Haldane 
beside  the  lake.  "  And  so  you  are  going  back  to-morrow 
to  your  cattle  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  It  is  the  one  course  open  to 
me,  and  the  only  work  for  which  I  am  fitted."  And  Miss 
Haldane  showed  a  faint  trace  of  impatience. 

"  If  you  are  sure  that  is  so,  you  are  wise,"  she  said. 

Before  I  could  answer  she  moved  away  to  greet  Mrs. 
Leyland,  and  some  time  elapsed  before  we  met  again, 
for  I  bade  Leyland  farewell  next  morning. 


CHAPTER    XII 
THE   SELLING   OF   GASPARD'S  TRAIL 

THE  surroundings  were  depressing  when,  one  evening, 
Steel  and  I  rode  home  for  the  last  time  to  Gaspard's 
Trail.  The  still,  clear  weather,  with  white  frost  in  the 
mornings  and  mellow  sunshine  all  day  long,  which  fol- 
lows the  harvest,  had  gone,  and  the  prairie  lay  bleak 
and  gray  under  a  threatening  sky  waiting  for  the  snow. 
Crescents  and  wedges  of  wild  fowl  streaked  the  lowering 
heavens  overhead  as  they  fled  southward  in  endless  pro- 
cessions before  the  frost.  The  air  throbbed  with  the  beat 
of  their  pinions  which,  at  that  season,  emphasizes  the 
human  shrinking  from  the  winter,  while  the  cold  wind 
that  shook  the  grasses  sighed  most  mournfully. 

There  was  nothing  cheering  in  the  prospect  for  a  man 
who  badly  needed  encouragement,  and  I  smiled  sardon- 
ically when  Steel,  who  pushed  his  horse  alongside  me, 
said :  "  There's  a  good  deal  in  the  weather,  and  this 
mean  kind  has  just  melted  the  grit  right  out  of  me.  I'll 
be  mighty  thankful  to  get  in  out  of  it,  and  curl  up  where 
it's  warm  and  snug  beside  the  stove.  Sally  will  have  all 
fixed  up  good  and  cheerful,  and  the  west  room's  a  cozy 
place  to  come  into  out  of  the  cold." 

"  You  must  make  the  most  of  it  to-night,  then,  for 
we'll  be  camping  on  straw  or  bare  earth  to-morrow," 
I  said.  "  Confound  you,  Steel !  Isn't  it  a  little  unneces- 
sary to  remind  me  of  all  that  I  have  lost?  " 

"  I  didn't  mean  it  that  way,"  said  the  other,  with 
some  confusion.  "  I  felt  I  had  to  say  something  cheerful 
to  rouse  you  up,  and  that  was  the  best  I  could  make  of 
it.  Anyway,  we'll  both  feel  better  after  supper,  and  I'm 
hoping  we'll  yet  see  the  man  who  turned  you  out  in  a 
tight  place." 

"  You  have  certainly  succeeded,"   I  answered  dryly. 

124 


THE    SELLING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    125 

"  When  a  man  is  forced  to  stand  by  and  watch  a  rascal 
cheat  him  out  of  the  result  of  years  of  labor,  you  can't 
blame  him  for  being  a  trifle  short  in  temper,  and,  if  it 
were  not  for  the  last  expectation  you  mention,  I'd  turn 
my  back  to-morrow  on  this  poverty-stricken  country. 
As  it  is " 

"  We'll  stop  right  here  until  our  turn  comes  some 
day.  Then  there'll  be  big  trouble  for  somebody,"  said 
Steel.  "  But  you've  got  to  lie  low,  Ormesby,  and  give 
him  no  chances.  That  man  takes  everyone  he  gets, 
and,  if  one  might  say  it,  you're  just  a  little  hot  in  the 
head." 

"  One's  friends  can  say  a  good  deal,  and  generally 
do,"  I  answered  testily.  "  How  long  have  you  set  up 
as  a  model  of  discretion,  Steel?  Still,  though  there  is 
rather  more  sense  than  usual  in  your  advice,  doesn't 
it  strike  you  as  a  little  superfluous,  considering  that 
Lane  has  left  us  no  other  possible  course  ?  " 

Steel  said  nothing  further,  and  I  was  in  no  mood 
for  conversation.  Gaspard's  Trail  was  to  be  sold  on  the 
morrow,  and  Lane  had  carefully  chosen  his  time.  The 
commercial  depression  was  keener  than  ever,  and  there 
is  seldom  any  speculation  in  Western  lands  at  that  time 
of  the  year.  It  was  evidently  his  purpose  to  buy  in  my 
possessions. 

A  cheerful  red  glow  beat  out  through  the  windows 
of  my  dwelling  when  we  topped  the  last  rise,  but  the 
sight  of  it  rather  increased  my  moodiness,  and  it  was 
in  silence,  and  slowly,  we  rode  up  to  the  door  of  Gas- 
pard's Trail.  Sally  Steel  met  us  there,  and  her  eye- 
lids were  slightly  red;  but  there  was  a  vindictive  ring 
in  her  voice  as  she  said :  "  Supper's  ready,  and  I'm 
mighty  glad  you've  come.  This  place  seems  lonesome. 
Besides,  I'm  'most  played  out  with  talking,  and  I've 
done  my  best  to-day.  Those  auctioneering  fellows  have 
fixed  up  everything,  but  it  isn't  my  fault  if  they  don't 
know  how  mean  they  are.  They  finished  with  the  house 
in  a  hurry,  and  one  of  them  said :  '  I  can't  stand  any 
more  of  that  she-devil. ' 

"  He  did !    Where  are  they  now  ?  "  asked  Steel,  drop- 


126     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ping  his  horse's  bridle  and  staring  about  him  angrily; 
but,  after  a  glance  at  Sally,  who  answered  my  unspoken 
question  with  a  nod,  I  seized  him  by  the  shoulder. 

"  Steady !     Who  is  hot-headed  now  ?  "  I  said. 

Steel  strove  to  shake  off  my  grasp  until  his  sister, 
who  laughed  a  little,  turned  towards  him.  "  I  just  took 
it  for  a  compliment,  and  there's  no  use  in  your  interfer- 
ing," she  said.  "  I  guess  neither  of  them  feels  proud 
of  himself  to-night,  and  a  cheerful  row  with  somebody 
would  spoil  all  the  good  I've  done.  They're  camping 
yonder  in  the  stable,  but  you'll  tie  up  the  horses  in  the 
empty  barn." 

Sally  Steel  was  a  stanch  partisan,  and,  knowing  what 
I  did  of  her  command  of  language,  I  felt  almost  sorry 
for  the  men  who  had  been  exposed  to  it  a  whole  day 
in  what  was,  after  all,  only  the  execution  of  their  duty. 
Before  Steel  returned,  one  of  them  came  out  of  the 
stable  and  approached  me,  but,  catching  sight  of  Sally, 
stopped  abruptly,  and  then,  as  though  mustering  his 
courage,  came  on  again. 

"  I  guess  you're  Mr.  Ormesby,  and  I'm  auctioneer's 
assistant,"  he  said.  "  One  could  understand  that  you 
were  a  bit  sore,  but  I  can't  see  that  it's  my  fault,  any- 
way; and  from  what  we  heard,  you  don't  usually  turn 
strangers  into  the  stable." 

The  man  spoke  civilly  enough,  and  I  did  not  approve 
of  his  location;  but  the  rising  color  in  Sally's  face 
would  have  convinced  anybody  who  knew  her  that  non- 
interference was  the  wisest  policy. 

"  It  is  about  the  first  time  we  have  done  so,  but  this 
lady  manages  my  house,  and,  if  you  don't  like  your  quar- 
ters, you  must  talk  to  her,"  I  said. 

The  man  cast  such  a  glance  of  genuine  pity  upon  me 
that  it  stirred  me  to  faint  amusement,  rather  than  re- 
sentment, while  the  snap,  as  we  called  it  on  the  prairie, 
which  crept  into  Sally's  eyes  usually  presaged  an  ex- 
plosion. 

"  If  that's  so,  I  guess  I  prefer  to  stop  just  where  I 
am,"  he  said. 

We  ate  our  supper  almost  in  silence,  and  little  was 


THE    SELLING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    127 

spoken  afterwards.  Sally  did  her  best  to  rouse  us,  but 
even  her  conversation  had  lost  its  usual  bite  and  sparkle, 
and  presently  she  abandoned  the  attempt.  I  lounged  in 
a  hide  chair  beside  the  stove,  and  each  object  my  eyes 
rested  on  stirred  up  memories  that  were  painful  now. 
The  cluster  of  splendid  wheat  ears  above  the  window  had 
been  the  first  sheared  from  a  bounteous  harvest  which 
had  raised  great  hopes.  I  had  made  the  table  with  my 
own  fingers,  and  brought  out  the  chairs,  with  the  crock- 
ery on  the  varnished  shelf,  from  Winnipeg,  one  winter, 
when  the  preceding  season's  operations  had  warranted 
such  reckless  expenditure.  The  dusty  elevator  warrant 
pinned  to  the  wall  recalled  the  famous  yield  of  grain 
which — because  cattle  had  previously  been  our  main- 
stay— had  promised  a  new  way  to  prosperity,  and  now, 
as  I  glanced  at  it,  led  me  back  through  a  sequence  of 
failure  to  the  brink  of  poverty.  Also,  bare  and  plain  as 
it  was,  that  room  appeared  palatial  in  comparison  with 
the  elongated  sod  hovel  which  must  henceforward  shel- 
ter us  at  Crane  Valley. 

The  memories  grew  too  bitter,  and  at  last  I  went 
out  into  the  darkness  of  a  starless  night,  to  find  little 
solace  there.  I  had  planned  and  helped  to  build  the  barns 
and  stables  which  loomed  about  me — denied  myself  of 
even  necessities  that  the  work  might  be  better  done ;  and 
now,  when,  after  years  of  effort  and  sordid  economy, 
any  prairie  settler  might  be  proud  of  them,  all  must  pass 
into  a  stranger's  hands,  for  very  much  less  than  their 
value.  Tempted  by  a  dazzling  possibility,  I  had  staked 
too  heavily  and  had  lost,  and  there  was  little  courage 
left  in  me  to  recommence  again  at  the  beginning,  when 
the  hope  which  had  hitherto  nerved  me  was  taken  away. 
Steel  and  his  sister  had  retired  before  I  returned  to  the 
dwelling,  and  I  was  not  sorry. 

The  next  day  broke  gloomily,  with  a  threat  of  coming 
storm,  but,  as  it  drew  on,  all  the  male  inhabitants  of  that 
district  foregathered  at  Gaspard's  Trail.  They  .came  in 
light  wagons  and  buggies  and  on  horseback,  and  I  was 
touched  by  their  sympathy.  They  did  not  all  express 
it  neatly.  Indeed,  the  very  silence  of  some  was  most 


128     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

eloquent;  but  there  was  no  mistaking  the  significance 
of  the  deep  murmur  that  went  up  when  Lane  and  two 
men  drove  up  in  a  light  wagon.  The  former  was 
dressed  in  city  fashion  in  a  great  fur-trimmed  coat, 
and  his  laugh  grated  on  me,  as  he  made  some  comment 
to  the  auctioneer  beside  him.  Then  the  wagon  was 
pulled  up  beside  the  rank  of  vehicles,  and  the  specta- 
tors ceased  their  talking  as,  dismounting,  he  stood, 
jaunty,  genial,  and  debonnaire,  face  to  face  with  the 
assembly. 

Even  now  the  whole  scene  rises  up  before  me — the 
threatening  low-hung  heavens,  the  desolate  sweep  of 
prairie,  the  confused  jumble  of  buildings,  the  rows  of 
wagons,  and  the  intent,  bronzed  faces  of  the  men  in 
well-worn  jean.  All  were  unusually  somber,  but,  while 
a  number  expressed  only  aversion,  something  which 
might  have  been  fear,  mingled  with  hatred,  stamped  those 
of  the  rest.  Every  eye  was  fixed  on  the  little  portly 
man  in  the  fur  coat  who  stood  beside  the  wagon  looking 
about  him  with  much  apparent  good-humor.  Lane  was 
not  timid,  or  he  would  never  have  ventured  there  at  all; 
but  his  smile  faded  as  he  met  that  concentrated  gaze. 
Those  who  stared  at  him  were  for  the  most  part  deter- 
mined men,  and  even  with  the  power  of  the  law  behind 
him,  and  two  troopers  in  the  background,  some  slight 
embarrassment  was  not  inexcusable. 

"  Good-morning  to  you,  boys.  Glad  to  see  so  many 
of  you,  and  I  hope  you'll  pick  up  bargains  to-day,"  he 
said ;  and  then  twisted  one  end  of  his  mustache  with 
a  nervous  movement;  when  again  a  growl  went  up.  It 
was  neither  loud  nor  wholly  articulate,  though  a  few 
vivid  epithets  broke  through  it,  and  the  rest  was  clearly 
not  a  blessing.  Several  of  the  nearest  men  turned  their 
backs  on  the  speaker  with  as  much  parade  as  possible. 

"  Don't  seem  quite  pleased  at  something,"  he  said  to 
me.  "  Well,  it  don't  greatly  matter  whether  they're 
pleased  or  not.  May  as  well  get  on  to  business.  You've 
had  your  papers,  and  didn't  find  anything  to  kick  against, 
Ormesby?  " 

"  It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  ask,  considering  your 


THE    SELLING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    129 

experience  in  such  affairs.  The  sooner  you  begin  and 
finish,  the  better  I'll  be  pleased,"  I  said. 

The  auctioneer's  table  had  been  set  up  in  the  open 
with  the  ticketed  implements  arranged  behind  it  and 
the  stock  and  horses  in  the  wire-fenced  corral  close 
beside.  He  was  of  good  repute  in  his  business,  and  I 
felt  assured  of  fair  play  from  him,  at  least,  though  I 
could  see  Lane's  purpose  in  bringing  him  out  from 
Winnipeg.  The  latter  was  too  clever  to  spoil  a  well- 
laid  scheme  by  any  superfluous  petty  trickery,  and  with 
that  man  to  conduct  it  nobody  could  question  the  legiti- 
macy of  the  sale.  There  was  an  expectant  silence  when 
he  stood  up  behind  his  table. 

"  What  is  one  man's  gain  is  another  man's  loss,  and 
I  feel  quite  certain,  from  what  I  know  of  the  prairie, 
that  none  of  you  would  try  to  buy  a  neighbor's  things 
way  under  their  cost/'  he  commenced.  "  It's  mighty 
hard  to  make  a  fortune  in  times  like  these,  you  know, 
but  anybody  with  sound  judgment,  and  the  money  handy, 
has  his  opportunity  right  now.  You're  going  to  grow 
wheat  and  raise  beef  enough  down  here  to  feed  the  world 
some  day.  It's  a  great  country,  and  the  best  bit  in  it 
you'll  find  scheduled  with  its  rights  and  acreage  as  the 
first  lot  I  have  to  offer  you — the  Gaspard's  Trail  holding 
with  the  buildings  thereon.  The  soil,  as  you  all  know, 
will  grow  most  anything  you  want,  if  you  scratch  it, 
and  the  climate " 

"  Needs  a  constitution  of  cast  iron  to  withstand  it," 
interjected  a  young  and  sickly  Englishman,  who  had 
benefited  less  than  he  expected  from  a  sojourn  on  the 
prairie.  His  comment  was  followed  by  a  query  from 
another  disappointed  individual :  "  Say,  what  about  the 
gophers  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  selling  you  any  climate,"  was  the  ready 
answer.  "  Even  the  gopher  has  its  uses,  for  without 
some  small  disadvantages  the  fame  of  your  prosperity 
would  bring  out  all  Europe  here.  Now,  gentlemen,  I'm 
offering  you  one  of  the  finest  homesteads  on  the  prairie. 
Soil  of  unequaled  fertility,  the  best  grass  between  Win- 
nipeg and  Calgary,  with  the  practical  certainty  of  a 


130     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

railroad  bringing  the  stock  cars  to  its  door,  and  the 
building  of  mills  and  elevators  within  a  mile  from  this 
corral." 

Here  Lane,  standing  close  to  the  table,  whispered 
something — unobserved,  he  doubtless  thought — to  the 
auctioneer,  whose  genial  face  contracted  into  a  frown. 
Lane  had,  perhaps,  forgotten  the  latter  was  not  one  of 
the  impecunious  smaller  fry  who,  it  was  suggested,  oc- 
casionally accepted  more  than  hints  from  him. 

"  The  holder  of  the  mortgage  evidently  considers  that 
the  railroad  will  not  be  built,  and  it  is  very  good  of  him 
to  say  so — in  the  circumstances ;  but  we  all  know  what 
a  disinterested  person  he  is,"  continued  the  auctioneer; 
and  the  honest  salesman  had,  at  least,  secured  the  crowd's 
goodwill.  A  roar  of  derisive  laughter  and  appreciation 
of  the  quick-witted  manner  in  which  he  had  punished 
unjustified  interference  followed  the  sally.  "  That,  after 
all,  is  one  person's  opinion  only;  and  I  heard  from 
Ottawa  that  the  road  would  be  built.  I  want  your  best 
bids  for  the  land  and  buildings,  with  the  stock  cars 
thrown  in.  You'll  never  get  a  better  chance;  but  not 
all  at  once,  gentlemen." 

During  the  brief  interval  which  followed  I  was  con- 
scious of  quivering  a  little  under  the  suspense.  The 
property,  if  realized  at  normal  value,  should  produce 
sufficient  to  discharge  my  liabilities  several  times  over; 
but  I  dreaded  greatly  that,  under  existing  conditions,  a 
balance  of  debt  would  be  left  sufficient  to  give  Lane  a 
hold  on  me  when  all  was  sold.  The  auctioneer's  last 
request  was  superfluous,  for  at  first  nobody  appeared 
to  have  any  intention  of  bidding  at  all,  and  there  was  an 
impressive  hush  while  two  men  from  the  cities,  who  stood 
apart  among  the  few  strangers,  whispered  together. 
Meanwhile  I  edged  close  in  to  the  table  so  that  I  might 
watch  every  move  of  my  adversary. 

"  Lane  wasn't  wise  when  he  tried  to  play  that  man 
the  way  he  did,"  said  Steel,  who  stood  beside  me,  but 
I  scarcely  heeded  him,  for  Carson  Haldane,  who  must 
have  reached  Bonaventure  very  recently,  nodded  to  me 
as  he  took  his  seat  in  a  chair  Jhorn  brought  him. 


THE    SELLING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    131 

Then  one  of  the  strangers  named  a  ridiculously  small 
sum,  which  Steel,  amid  a  burst  of  laughter  from  all 
those  who  knew  the  state  of  his  finances,  immediately 
doubled,  whereupon  the  bidder  advanced  his  offer  by  a 
hundred  dollars. 

"  Another  five  hundred  on  to  that !  "  cried  Steel ;  and 
when  my  foreman,  Thorn,  followed  his  cue  with  a  shout 
of,  "  I'll  go  three  hundred  better,"  the  merriment  grew 
boisterous.  The  spectators  were  strung  up  and  uncer- 
tain in  their  mood.  Very  little,  I  could  see,  would  rouse 
them  to  fierce  anger,  and,  perhaps,  for  that  reason  any 
opening  for  mirth  came  as  a  relief  to  them.  I  had  now 
drawn  up  close  behind  the  table  which  formed  the  com- 
mon center  for  every  man's  attention,  and,  scanning  the 
faces  about  it,  saw  Lane's  darken  when  the  stranger 
called  out  excitedly,  "  I'll  raise  him  two  hundred  and 
fifty." 

Lane  rewarded  Thorn  with  a  vicious  glance,  and 
growled  under  his  breath.  Next  he  whispered  some- 
thing to  the  auctioneer,  who  disregarded  it,  while  a  few 
minutes  later  the  bidder,  holding  his  hand  up  for  atten- 
tion, said: 

"  I  withdraw  my  last  offer.  I  came  here  to  do 
solid  business  and  not  fool  away  my  time  competing 
with  irresponsible  parties  who  couldn't  put  up  enough 
money  to  buy  the  chicken-house.  Is  this  a  square  sale, 
Mr.  Auctioneer,  or  is  anybody  without  the  means  to 
purchase  to  be  allowed  to  force  up  genuine  buyers  for 
the  benefit  of  the  vendor?" 

"  That's  Lane's  dummy,  and  I'm  going  to  do  some  talk- 
ing now,"  said  Steel. 

I  was  inclined  to  fancy  that  the  usurer,  perhaps  be- 
lieving there  was  no  such  thing  as  commercial  honesty, 
had  badly  mistaken  his  man,  or  that  the  auctioneer, 
guided  by  his  own  quick  wits,  saw  through  his  scheme, 
for  he  smote  upon  the  table  for  attention. 

"  This  is  a  square  sale,  so  square  that  I  can  see  by 
the  vendor's  looks  he  would  sooner  realize  half-value 
than  countenance  anything  irregular.  I  took  it  for 
granted  that  these  gentlemen  had  the  means  to  purchase, 


2     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 


as  I  did  in  your  own  case.  No  doubt  you  can  all  prove 
your  financial  ability." 

"  One  of  them  is  still  in  debt,"  added  the  bidder. 

I  had  moved  close  behind  Lane,  and  fancied  I  heard 
him  say  softly  to  himself  :  "  I'll  fix  you  so  you'll  be  sorry 
for  your  little  jokes  by-and-by." 

A  diversion  followed.  Goodwill  to  myself,  hatred  of 
the  usurer,  and  excitement,  may  perhaps  have  prompted 
them  equally,  for  after  the  would-be  purchaser's  chal- 
lenge those  of  my  neighbors  who  had  escaped  better 
than  the  rest  clustered  about  Steel,  who  had  hard  work 
to  record  the  rolls  of  paper  money  thrust  upon  him. 
Hardly  had  his  rival  laid  down  a  capacious  wallet  upon 
the  table  than  Steel  deposited  the  whole  beside  it. 

"  I  guess  that  ought  to  cover  my  call,  and  now  I  want 
to  see  the  man  who  called  me  irresponsible,"  he  said. 
"  That's  enough  to  raise  me,  but  to  hint  that  any  honest 
man  would  back  up  the  thief  of  a  mortgage  holder  is 
an  insult  to  the  prairie." 

A  roar  of  laughter  and  approval  followed,  but  the 
laughter  had  an  ominous  ring  in  it  ;  and  I  saw  Sergeant 
Mackay,  who  had  been  sitting  still  as  an  equine  statue 
in  his  saddle  on  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd,  push  his 
horse  through  the  thickest  of  the  shouting  men.  He 
called  some  by  name,  and  bantered  the  rest;  but  there 
was  a  veiled  warning  behind  his  jest,  and  two  other 
troopers,  following  him,  managed  to  further  separate 
the  groups.  The  hint  was  unmistakable,  and  the  shout- 
ing died  away,  while,  as  the  auctioneer  looked  at  the 
money  before  him,  the  man  who  had  been  bidding  glanced 
covertly  at  Lane. 

"  If  you  are  satisfied  with  the  good  faith  of  these 
gentlemen,  I'll  let  my  offer  stand,"  he  said. 

"  It  doesn't  count  for  much  whether  he  does  or  not," 
said  Haldane  languidly.  "  I'll  raise  him  two  hundred  and 
fifty." 

"  I'm  not  satisfied  with  his,"  broke  in  the  irrepressible 
Steel.  "  I  can't  leave  my  money  lying  round  right  under 
that  man's  hand,  Mr.  Auctioneer.  No,  sir;  I  won't 
feel  easy  until  I've  put  it  where  it's  safer.  Besides,  he 


THE    SELLING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL   133 

called  me  a  friend  of  the  mortgage  holder,  and  I'm  wait- 
ing for  an  apology." 

The  stranger  from  the  cities  grew  very  red  in  face, 
and  a  fresh  laugh,  which  was  not  all  good-humor,  went 
up  from  the  crowd;  but,  as  the  auctioneer  prepared  to 
grapple  with  this  new  phase  of  affairs,  a  man  in  uniform 
reined  in  a  gray  horse  beside  the  speaker,  and  looked 
down  at  him.  There  was  a  faint  twinkle  in  his  eyes, 
though  the  rest  of  his  countenance  was  grim,  and  he  laid 
a  hard  hand  on  the  other's  shoulder. 

"  Ye'll  just  wait  a  while  longer,  Charlie  Steel,"  he 
said.  "  I'm  thinking  ye  will  at  least  be  held  fully  re- 
sponsible for  anything  calculated  to  cause  a  breach  of 
the  peace." 

Thereafter  the  bidding  proceeded  without  interrup- 
tion, Haldane  and  his  rival  advancing  by  fifties  or  hun- 
dreds of  dollars,  while,  when  the  prairie  syndicate's 
united  treasury  was  exhausted,  which  happened  very 
soon,  a  few  other  strangers  joined  in.  Meanwhile,  the 
suspense  had  grown  almost  insupportable  to  me.  That 
I  must  lose  disastrously  was  certain  now,  but  I  clung 
to  the  hope  that  I  might  still  start  at  Crane  Valley  clear 
of  debt.  Haldane  was  bidding  with  manifest  indiffer- 
ence, and  at  last  he  stopped. 

The  auctioneer,  calling  the  price  out,  looked  at  him, 
but  Carson  Haldane  shook  his  head,  and  said,  with  un- 
usual distinctness :  "  The  other  gentlemen  may  have 
it.  I  have  gone  further  than  I  consider  justifiable  al- 
ready." 

I  saw  Lane  glance  at  him  with  a  puzzled  expression, 
'and  next  moment  try  to  signal  the  stranger,  who  was 
clearly  in  league  with  him,  and  fail  in  the  attempt  to 
attract  his  attention.  Then  I  held  my  breath,  for,  after 
two  more  reluctant  bids,  there  was  only  silence  when 
the  auctioneer  repeated  the  last  offer. 

"  Is  there  anyone  willing  to  exceed  this  ridiculous 
figure?  It's  your  last  chance,  gentlemen.  Going,  go- 
ing  "  And  my  hopes  died  out  as  he  dropped  the 

hammer. 

"  Nothing  left  but  to  make  the  best  of  it,"  said  Steel ; 


134     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

which  was  very  poor  consolation,  for  I  could  see  nothing 
good  at  all  in  the  whole  affair. 

There  was  much  brisker  bidding  for  the  implements, 
working  oxen,  and  remnant  of  the  stock,  which  were 
within  the  limits  of  my  neighbors,  and  who  did  their 
best;  but  the  prices  realized  were  by  comparison  merely 
a  drop  in  the  bucket,  and  I  turned  away  disconsolate, 
knowing  that  the  worst  I  feared  had  come  to  pass.  All 
the  borrowed  money  had  been  sunk  in  the  improvement 
of  that  property,  and  now  the  mortgage  holder,  who  had 
even  before  the  sale  been  almost  repaid,  owned  the  whole 
of  it,  land  and  improvements,  and  still  held  a  lien  on  me 
for  a  balance  of  the  debt. 

Haldane  met  me  presently,  and  his  tone  was  cordial 
as  he  said :  "  Where  are  you  thinking  of  spending  the 
night  ?  " 

"  At  Crane  Valley  with  the  others,"  I  answered 
shortly.  "  Steel  and  my  foreman  are  going  to  help  me 
to  restart  there." 

"  I  want  you  to  come  over  to  Bonaventure  for  a  few 
days  instead,"  he  said.  "  A  little  rest  and  change  will 
brace  you  for  the  new  campaign,  and  I  am  all  alone, 
except  for  my  younger  daughter." 

I  looked  him  squarely  in  the  face,  seeing  that  frank- 
ness was  best.  "  My  wits  are  not  very  keen  to-day, 
and  I  am  a  little  surprised,"  I  said.  "  May  I  ask  why 
you  bid  at  all  for  my  recent  property?  You  must  have 
known  it  was  worth  much  more  than  your  apparent 
limit." 

Haldane  smiled  good-humoredly ;  but,  in  spite  of  this, 
his  face  was  inscrutable.  "  '  When  I  might  at  least 
have  run  the  price  up,'  you  wish  to  add.  Well,  I  had  to 
redeem  a  promise  made  somewhat  against  my  better 
judgment,  and  I  stopped — when  it  seemed  advisable. 
This,  as  you  may  discover,  Ormesby,  is  not  the  end  of 
the  affair,  and,  if  I  could  have  helped  you  judiciously, 
you  may  be  sure  that  I  would.  In  the  meantime,  are 
you  coming  back  to  Bonaventure  with  me  ?  " 

He  had  told  me  practically  nothing,  and  yet  I  trusted 
him,  while  the  knowledge  that  his  daughter  had  bidden 


THE    SELLING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    135 

him  take  measures  on  my  behalf  was  very  soothing.  After 
all,  Beatrice  Haldane  had  not  forgotten  me.  "  It  is 
very  kind  of  you,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  do  so,  sir," 
I  said. 

I  found  Lane  at  the  table  as  soon  as  the  sale  was  over, 
and  he  held  out  a  sheet  of  paper.  "  You  can  verify 
the  totals  at  leisure,  but  you  will  see  it  leaves  a  balance 
due  me,"  he  said.  "  It  is  rather  a  pity,  but  the  new 
purchaser  requires  immediate  possession,  though  he 
might  allow  you  to  use  the  house  to-night.  Ah !  here 
he  is  to  speak  for  himself." 

The  stranger,  who  indorsed  the  statement,  looked  first 
at  Lane  and  then  at  me  in  sidelong  fashion.  There  was 
nothing  remarkable  about  him  except  that  he  had  hardly 
the  appearance  of  a  practical  farmer,  but  the  malicious 
enjoyment  his  master's  eyes  expressed,  and  something 
in  his  voice,  set  my  blood  on  fire.  Indeed,  I  was  in  a 
humor  to  turn  on  my  best  friend  just  then. 

"  Nothing  would  induce  me  to  enter  a  house  which 
belonged  to — you,"  I  said,  turning  to  Lane.  "  So  far 
you  have  won  lands  down;  but  neither  you  nor  your 
tool  has  quite  consummated  your  victory.  I  shall  see 
both  of  you  sorry  you  ever  laid  your  grasping  hands  on 
this  property." 

"  You  may  be  right  in  one  way,"  answered  Lane. 
"  You'll  remember  what  happened  to  the  fool  bullfrog, 
and  you're  looking  tolerably  healthy  yet." 

I  had  hardly  spoken  before  I  regretted  it.  The  words 
were  useless  and  puerile;  but  my  indignation  demanded 
some  outlet.  In  any  case,  Lane  shrugged  his  shoulders 
and  the  other  man  grinned,  while  I  had  clearly  spoken 
more  loudly  than  I  intended,  for  several  bystanders  ap- 
plauded, and  when  I  moved  away  Sergeant  Mackay 
overtook  me.  "  I'm  surprised  at  ye,  Rancher  Ormesby," 
he  said.  "  Ye  have  not  shown  your  usual  discretion." 

"  I  would  not  change  it  for  yours,"  I  answered.  "  It 
is  evidently  insufficient  to  warn  you  that  there  are  times 
when  preaching  becomes  an  impertinence." 

Mackay  only  shook  his  head.  He  wheeled  his  horse, 
and,  with  two  troopers  behind  him,  rode  towards  the 


136     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

wagon  which  Lane  was  mounting.  A  deep  growl  of 
execration  went  up,  and  the  farewell  might  have  been 
warmer  but  for  the  troopers'  presence.  As  it  was,  he 
turned  and  ironically  saluted  the  sullenly  wrathful  crowd 
as  the  light  wagon  lurched  away  across  the  prairie. 
Then  I  was  left  homeless,  and  was  glad  to  feel  Haldane's 
touch  on  my  arm.  "  Light  this  cigar  and  jump  in.  The 
team  are  getting  impatient,  and  Lucille  will  be  wondering 
what  has  kept  us  so  long/'  he  said. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

AN   UNFORTUNATE   PROMISE 

HALDANE  could  command  any  man's  attention  when  he 
chose  to  exert  himself,  and,  I  fancied,  made  a  special 
effort  on  my  behalf  during  his  homeward  journey.  As 
a  result  of  this  I  almost  forgot  that  I  was  a  homeless 
and  practically  ruined  man  as  I  listened  to  his  shrewd 
predictions  concerning  the  future  of  that  region,  or  oc- 
casionally ventured  to  point  out  improbabilities  in  some 
of  them.  The  depression,  however,  returned  with  double 
force  when  we  came  into  sight  of  Bonaventure  soon  after 
dusk,  and  with  it  a  curious  reluctance  to  face  the  young 
mistress  of  the  homestead. 

Lucille  Haldane  was  my  junior  by  several  years.  In- 
deed, on  our  first  meeting  I  had  considered  her  little 
more  than  a  girl,  but  since  then  a  respect  for  her  opin- 
ions, and  a  desire  to  retain  her  approval,  had  been  grow- 
ing upon  me.  Perhaps  it  was  because  her  opinions  more 
or  less  coincided  with  my  own,  but  this  fact  would  not 
account  for  the  undeniable  thrill  of  pleasure  which  had 
followed  her  na'ive  announcement  that  she  believed  in 
me.  Hitherto,  with  one  exception,  I  had  figured  before 
her  as  a  successful  man,  and  I  positively  shrank  from 
appearing  as  one  badly  beaten  and  brought  down  by  his 
own  overconfident  folly.  I  remembered  how  she  once 
said :  "  You  must  not  disappoint  us." 

This  seemed  wholly  absurd,  but  the  worst  bitterness 
I  had  yet  experienced  made  itself  felt  when  Haldane 
pulled  up  his  team,  and,  pointing  to  a  figure  on  the 
threshold  of  his  homestead,  said :  "  Lucille  must  have 
been  getting  impatient.  She  is  watching  for  us." 

I  allowed  him  to  precede  me  by  as  long  a  space  as 
possible,  while  I  lingered  to  assist  the  hired  man  with 
a  refractory  buckle,  and  then  it  was  with  an  effort  I 

137 


138     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

braced  myself  for  the  interview.  Haldane  had  vanished 
into  the  house,  but  the  slight,  graceful  figure  still  waited 
upon  the  threshold,  and  I  wondered,  with  a  strange  anx- 
iety, what  his  daughter  would  say  to  me. 

The  question  was  promptly  answered,  for,  as  I  entered 
the  hall,  feeling  horribly  ashamed  and  with  doubtless 
a  very  wooden  face,  Lucille  Haldane  held  out  both  hands 
to  me.  Her  manner  was  half-shy,  wholly  compassionate, 
and  I  stood  quite  still  a  while  comforted  'by  the  touch 
of  the  little  soft  fingers  which  I  held  fast  -within  my 
own.  Then  she  said  very  simply :  "  I  am  so  sorry,  but 
you  will  have  better  fortune  yet." 

A  lamp  hung  close  above  us,  and  it  was,  perhaps,  as 
well  that  it  did,  for  the  relief  which  followed  the  quiet 
words  that  vibrated  with  sincerity  was  more  inimical 
to  rational  behavior  than  the  previous  causeless  hesita- 
tion. Lucille  Haldane  looked  more  girlish  than  ever 
and  most  bewitchingly  pretty  as,  glancing  up  at  me, 
partly  startled  by  my  fervent  grasp,  she  drew  her  hands 
away.  She  seemed  the  incarnation  of  innocence,  fresh- 
ness, and  gentle  sympathy,  and,  perhaps  as  a  result  of 
the  strain  lately  undergone,  there  came  upon  me  an 
insane  desire  to  stoop  and  kiss  her  as,  or  so  at  least  it 
seemed,  a  brother  might  have  done. 

She  may  have  grown  suspicious,  for  feminine  per- 
ceptions are  keen,  and,  though  the  movement  was  grace- 
ful and  not  precipitate,  a  distance  of  several  feet  divided 
us  next  moment,  and  we  stood  silent,  looking  at  each 
other,  while  my  heart  beat  at  what  appeared  double  its 
usual  rate. 

"  You  have  given  me  new  hope,  and  those  were  the 
kindest  words  I  have  ever  heard/'  I  said.  "  I  think  you 
meant  them." 

Lucille  Haldane's  manner  changed.  The  change  was 
indefinite,  but  it  existed,  and  it  was  with  a  smile  she 
answered  me.  "  Of  course  I  did.  One  does  not  gener- 
ally trouble  to  deceive  one's  friends ;  and  we  are  friends, 
are  we  not,  Mr.  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  No  one  could  desire  a  better,  and  I  hope  we  shall 
always  remain  so,"  I  answered,  with  an  attempt  at  a 


AN    UNFORTUNATE    PROMISE          139 

bow;  and  the  girl,  turning,  preceded  me  into  the  big 
central  hall. 

"  What  kept  you  so  long,  Ormesby  ?  One  could  al- 
most have  fancied  you  had  become  possessed  of  an 
unusual  bashfulness,"  said  Haldane,  when  we  came  in; 
and  I  glanced  apologetically  at  his  daughter  before  I 
answered  him. 

"  Something  of  the  kind  happened,  and  my  excuse 
is  that  I  had  very  little  cause  for  self-confidence.  Now, 
however,  I  am  only  ashamed  of  the  hesitation." 

"  You  deserve  to  be,"  said  Haldane,  with  a  mock 
severity  which  veiled  a  certain  pride.  "  Fortunately, 
the  young  mistress  of  Bonaventure  atones  for  her  fa- 
ther's shortcomings,  and  so  long  as  she  rules  there  will 
always  be  a  welcome  for  anybody  in  adversity  here,  as 
well  as  the  best  we  can  give  to  harassed  friends.  It  is 
a  convenient  arrangement,  for  while,  according  to  my 
unsuccessful  rivals,  I  grow  rich  by  paralyzing  industries 
and  unscrupulous  gambling  upon  the  markets,  Lucille 
assists  me  to  run  up  a  counter  score  by  proxy." 

The  girl's  face  flushed  a  little,  and  it  was  pleasant 
to  see  the  quick  indignation  sparkle  in  her  eyes.  "  You 
never  did  anything  unscrupulous;  and  I  do  not  think 
we  are  very  rich/'  she  said. 

One  might  have  fancied  that  Haldane  was  gratified, 
though  he  smiled  whimsically  and  turned  in  my  direc- 
tion as  he  answered :  "  The  last  assertion,  at  least,  is 
true  if  it  proves  anything,  for  it  is  tolerably  hard  to 
acquire  even  a  competence  nowadays  by  strictly  honest 
means,  isn't  it,  Ormesby?  You,  however,  do  not  know 
the  inconvenience  of  having  an  uncomfortably  elevated 
standard  fixed  for  one  to  live  up  to,  and  I  am  seriously 
contemplating  a  reckless  attack  on  some  national  industry 
to  prove  its  impossibility." 

The  girl's  confidence  in  her  father  was  supreme,  for, 
though  this  time  she  laughed,  it  was  evident  she  did  not 
believe  a  word  of  this.  "  It  is  well  you  are  known  by 
your  actions  and  not  your  speeches,"  she  said.  "  There 
are  commercial  combinations  which  deserve  to  be  at- 
tacked. Why  " — and  her  tone  grew  serious  enough — 


140     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  do  you  not  crush  the  man  or  men  who  are  doing  so 
much  mischief  in  our  vicinity?" 

Haldane  looked  at  his  daughter,  and  then  across 
at  me,  and,  while  slightly  ironical  good-humor  was 
stamped  on  his  face,  it  was  a  mask.  There  was  more 
than  one  side  to  his  character,  and,  when  it  pleased  him 
to  be  so,  there  was  nobody  more  inscrutable.  "  It  is  a 
rather  extensive  order,  and  men  of  that  stamp  are  gen- 
erally hard  to  crush,"  he  said.  "  Still,  if  those  mistaken 
doctors  should  conspire  to  forbid  me  more  profitable 
employment,  I  might,  perhaps,  make  the  attempt  some 
day." 

This  was  vague  enough,  but  I  felt  that  Haldane  had 
intended  the  hint  for  me.  There  was  no  further  refer- 
ence to  anything  financial,  for  henceforward  both  my 
host  and  his  daughter  laid  themselves  out  to  help  me  to 
forget  my  troubles,  and  were  so  successful  in  this  that 
I  even  wondered  at  myself.  The  troubles  were  certainly 
not  far  away,  but  the  financier's  anecdotes  and  his  daugh- 
ter's comments  proved  so  entertaining  that  they  dimin- 
ished and  melted  into  a  somber  background. 

When  Lucille  left  us  Haldane  sat  chatting  with  me 
over  his  cigar,  and  at  last  he  said  abruptly :  "  I  dare  say 
you  wondered  at  my  half-hearted  action  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  did,  sir,"  I  answered ;  and  the  financier  nodded 
good-humoredly. 

''  There  is  nothing  to  equal  plain  speaking,  Ormesby. 
When  a  man  knows  just  what  he  wants  and  asks  for 
it  he  stands  the  best  chance  of  obtaining  it,  though  I 
don't  always  act  in  accordance  with  the  maxim  my- 
self. Well,  I  made  a  few  bids  somewhat  against  my 
better  judgment  because  I  had  promised  to,  and  then 
ceased  because  it  seemed  best  to  me  that,  since  you 
could  not^hold^it,  Lane  should  acquire  the  property." 

"  I  don't  quite  see  the  reason,  sir.  On  the  other  hand, 
a  stiff  advance  in  prices  would  have  meant  a  good  deal 
to  me,"  I  said. 

Haldane  answered  oracularly:  "That  gentleman's 
funds  are  not  inexhaustible,  and  he  already  holds  what 
one  might  call  foreclosure  options  on  a  good  deal  of 


AN    UNFORTUNATE    PROMISE          141 

property.  I  should  not  be  sorry  to  see  him  take  hold  of 
further  land  so  long  as  it  did  not  lie  west  of  Gaspard's 
Trail.  It  is  possible  that  he  has,  as  we  say  in  the  ver- 
nacular, bitten  off  more  than  he  can  chew — considering 
the  present  scarcity  of  money.  I  should  take  heart  if  I 
were  you,  and  hold  on  to  Crane  Valley  whatever  it  costs 
you." 

"  Can't  you   speak  a  little  more   directly  ?  "   I  asked. 

Haldane  shook  his  head.  "  I  am  not  in  a  position  to 
do  so  yet;  but,  if  surmises  turn  into  certainties,  I  will 
some  day.  Meanwhile,  are  you  open  to  train  some  of 
the  Bonaventure  colts,  and  look  after  my  surplus  stock 
on  a  profit-division  basis?  I  have  more  than  my  staff 
can  handle." 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  to  do  so,"  I  answered,  seeing 
that  while  the  offer  was  prompted  by  kindness  it  had  also 
its  commercial  aspect.  "  But,  if  there  is  anything  going 
on,  say,  some  plan  for  the  exploitation  of  this  district 
in  opposition  to  Lane,  can  I  not  take  my  part  in  it  ?  " 

"  I  have  heard  of  no  such  scheme ;  and,  if  I  had,  you 
could  help  it  most  by  driving  new  straight  furrows 
and  raising  further  cattle,"  said  Haldane,  with  an  enig- 
matical smile.  "  There  are  games  which  require  a  life- 
long experience  from  the  men  who  would  succeed  in 
them ;  and,  because  Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day,  perhaps 
you  were  wiser  to  stick  to  your  plowing,  Ormesby.  One 
gets  used  to  the  excitement  of  the  other  life,  but  the 
strain  remains,  and  that  is  one  reason  why  you  see  me 
at  Bonaventure  again." 

My  host's  words  encouraged  me.  It  was  true  he 
had  said  very  little,  but  that  was  always  Haldane's 
way;  and,  seeing  that  he  now  desired  to  change  the 
subject,  I  followed  his  lead.  "  I  hope  your  health  is  not 
failing  you  again,  sir  ?  "  I  said. 

"  Save  for  one  weakness,  my  general  health  is  good 
enough,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  "Still,  the  weakness 
is  there,  and  for  the  second  time  this  year  physicians 
have  ordered  an  interval  of  quietness  and  leisure.  One 
has  to  pay  the  penalty  for  even  partial  success,  you  know, 
and  I  am  not  so  young  or  vigorous  as  I  used  to  be." 


142     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  Then,  if  I  may  ask  the  question,  why  not  abandon 
altogether  an  occupation  which  tries  you,  sir  ?  " 

Haldane  smiled  over  his  cigar,  but  a  shadow  crossed 
his  face.  "  We  are  what  the  Almighty  made  us,  Ormesby, 
and  I  suppose  the  restless  gaming  instinct  was  born  in 
me.  Even  in  my  enforced  leisure  down  here  it  is  al- 
most too  strong  for  me,  and  I  indulge  in  it  on  a  minor 
scale  by  way  of  recreation.  I  can't  sit  down  and  quietly 
rust  into  useless  inactivity.  Further,  while  handling 
a  good  deal  of  money,  my  private  share  is  smaller  than 
many  folks  suppose  it,  and  I  have  my  daughters'  future 
to  ensure.  Both  have  been  brought  up  to  consider  a 
certain  amount  of  luxury  as  necessary." 

I  do  not  think  the  last  words  were  intended  as  a 
hint,  for  had  Haldane  considered  the  latter  necessary 
it  is  hardly  likely  I  should  have  been  welcomed  so  often 
at  Bonaventure.  In  any  case  it  would  have  been  super- 
fluous, for  I  had  already  faced  the  worst,  and  decided 
that  Beatrice  Haldane  must  remain  what  she  had  always 
been  to  me: — an  ideal  to  be  worshiped  in  the  abstract 
and  at  a  distance.  Strangest  of  all,  once  the  knowledge 
was  forced  on  me,  I  found  it  possible  to  accept  the  posi- 
tion with  some  degree  of  resignation.  All  this  flashed 
through  my  mind  as  I  looked  into  the  wreaths  of  smoke, 
and  then  Haldane  spoke : 

"  Have  you  come  across  that  photographer  fellow 
lately?" 

"  Not  for  some  time.  Do  you  wish  to  see  him  ?  "  I 
answered,  with  a  slightly  puzzled  air. 

"  I  think  I  should  like  to " — and  Haldane's  voice 
changed  from  its  reflective  tone.  "  Do  you  know  who 
he  is,  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  I  should  hardly  care  to  say  without  consulting  him, 
sir,"  I  answered;  and  Haldane  laughed. 

"  You  need  not  trouble,  because  I  do.  If  you  chance 
upon  him  tell  him  what  I  said.  Getting  late,  jsn't  it? 
Good-night  to  you !  " 

He  left  me  equally  relieved  and  mystified,  and  that 
I  should  feel  any  relief  at  all  formed  part  of  the  mystery. 
Whatever  was  the  cause  of  it,  I  was  neither  utterly  cast 


AN    UNFORTUNATE    PROMISE          143 

down  nor  desperate  when  I  sought  my  couch,  and  I 
managed  to  sleep  soundly. 

That  was  the  first  of  several  visits  to  Bonaventure. 
The  acreage  of  Crane  Valley  was  ample,  but  the  house 
a  mere  elongated  sod  hovel,  of  which  Miss  Steel  monopo- 
lized the  greater  portion,  although  I  reflected  grimly 
that  in  existing  circumstances  it  was  quite  good  enough 
for  me.  Our  life  there  was  dreary  enough,  and,  at 
times,  I  grew  tired  of  Sally's  alternate  blandishments 
and  railleries;  so,  when  the  frost  bound  fast  the  sod 
and  but  little  could  be  done  for  land  and  cattle,  it  was 
very  pleasant  to  spend  a  few  days  amid  the  refinement 
and  comfort  which  ruled  at  Bonaventure.  During  one 
of  my  journeys  there  I  met  Cotton,  and  rode  some 
distance  with  him  across  the  prairie.  I  could  see  there 
was  something  he  wished  to  say,  but  his  usually  ample 
confidence  seemed  to  fail  him,  and  finally  he  bade  me 
farewell  with  visible  hesitation  where  our  ways  parted. 
I  had,  however,  scarcely  resumed  my  journey  before 
he  hailed  me,  and  when  I  checked  my  horse  he  rode  back 
in  my  direction  with  resolve  and  irresolution  mingled 
in  his  face. 

"  You  are  in  a  great  hurry.  There  was  something 
I  wanted  to  ask,"  he  commenced.  "  Do  you  think  this 
frost  will  hold,  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  You  have  a  barometer  in  the  station,  haven't  you?  " 
I  answered,,  regarding  him  ironically.  "  Cotton,  you 
have  something  on  your  mind  to-day,  and  it  is  not  the 
frost.  Out  with  it,  man.  I'm  in  no  way  dangerous." 

"  I  have,"  he  answered,  with  a  slight  darkening  of 
the  bronze  in  his  face.  "  It  is  not  a  great  thing,  but 
your  paternal  advice  and  cheap  witticisms  pall  on  me 
now  and  then.  Curious  way  to  ask  a  favor,  isn't  it? 
But  that  is  just  what  I'm  going  to  do." 

"  We'll  omit  the  compliments.  Come  to  the  point," 
I  said ;  and  the  trooper  made  the  plunge  he  had  so  much 
hesitated  over. 

"  I  want  you  to  ride  out  on  Wednesday  night  and 
meet  Freighter  Walker  coming  in  from  the  rail.  As 
you  know,  he  generally  travels  all  night  by  the  Bitter 


144     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Lakes  trail.  Ask  him  for  a  packet  with  my  name  on 
the  label,  then  tear  that  label  off  and  give  Mail-carrier 
Steve  the  packet  addressed  to  Miss  Haldane.  Those 
confounded  people  at  the  rail  post  office  chatter  so  about 
every  trifle,  and  Steve  is  too  thick  in  the  head  to  notice 
anything.  My  rounds  make  it  quite  impossible  for  me 
to  go  myself,  and  that  fool  of  a  freighter  would  certainly 
lose  or  smash  the  thing  before  he  passed  our  way  on  his 
return  journey.  It  is  not  asking  too  much,  is  it?" 

"  No,"  I  said  readily,  seeing  the  eagerness  in  the 
trooper's  eyes,  though  that  statement  implied  a  long,  cold 
night's  ride.  "  Miss  Haldane  is,  however,  in  Ottawa." 

"  I  don't  care  where  she  is,"  said  Cotton.  "  Confound 
— of  course,  I  mean  it's  very  good  of  you ;  but  there's 
no  use  in  assuming  stupidity.  It  is  Miss  Lucille  Haldane 
I  mean,  you  know." 

"  I  might  certainly  have  guessed  it,"  I  said  dryly. 
"  It  is  no  business  of  mine,  Cotton,  but  in  return  for 
your  compliments  I  can't  help  asking,  do  you  think 
Haldane  would  appreciate  it  ?  " 

Cotton  straightened  himself  in  his  saddle,  and  I  was 
sorry  for  him.  He  looked  very  young  with  that  light 
in  his  eyes  and  the  hot  blood  showing  through  his 
tan;  also,  I  fancied,  very  chivalrous. 

"  Don't  be  under  any  misapprehension,  Ormesby,"  he 
said  quietly.  "  That  packet  merely  contains  an  article 
I  heard  Miss  Haldane  lamenting  that  she  could  not 
obtain.  It  is  of  no  value,  only  useful ;  but  Thursday 
is  her  birthday,  and  I  think  she  would  be  pleased  to 
have  it.  Being  Trooper  Cotton,  I  should  never  have 
presumed  to  send  a  costly  present,  and  you  do  not  for 
a  moment  suppose  Miss  Lucille  would  appreciate  the 
trifle  for  anything  beyond  its  intrinsic  utility.  This  is 
the  second  time  you  have  forced  me  to  point  out  the 
absurdity  of  your  conclusions." 

I  was  angry  with  him  both  for  his  infatuation  and 
obtuseness,  for  it  struck  me  that  in  the  circumstances 
the  simple  gift  was  made  in  a  dangerously  graceful 
fashion,  and  calculated  to  appeal  to  a  young  woman's 
sympathies.  "I  can't  offer  you  advice?"  I  said. 


AN    UNFORTUNATE    PROMISE          145 

"  No/'  was  the  answer.  "  One  might  surmise  that  you 
needed  all  your  abilities  in  that  direction  for  yourself. 
Still,  to  prevent  your  drawing  any  unwarranted  infer- 
ence, I  may  repeat  that  it  would  be  quite  unneces- 
sary." 

"  I  understand,"  I  said  somberly,  feeling  that  there 
were  two  of  us  in  the  same  position.  "  Very  glad  to 
oblige  you.  The  times  are  out  of  joint  for  all  of  us 
just  now,  Cotton.  Good-night — and,  on  consideration, 
I  think  the  frost  will  hold.*' 

We  rode  in  different  directions,  and  because  I  had 
made  that  unfortunate  promise  it  was  late  on  Wednes- 
day night  when  I  prepared  to  leave  Bonaventure  quietly. 
Haldane  had  journeyed  to  the  railroad  and  could  not 
return  before  midnight  at  earliest.  Lucille  informed 
me  that  she  would  be  busy  with  some  household  affairs, 
and,  as  I  could  be  back  by  morning,  it  seemed  possible 
that  neither  would  miss  me.  Having  promised  the 
trooper  secrecy,  I  did  not  wish  to  answer  questions  or 
name  excuses. 

As  ill-luck  would  have  it,  the  last  person  I  desired 
to  meet  chanced  upon  me,  as,  well  wrapped  in  furs,  I 
was  slipping  towards  the  door,  and  I  must  have  looked 
confused  when  Lucille  Haldane  said :  "  Where  are  you 
going,  Mr.  Ormesby?" 

"  A  little  ride,"  I  answered.  "  I  have — I  have  some 
business  to  do,  and  after  two  idle  days  begin  to  long  for 
exercise." 

The  girl  looked  hard  at  me,  and  I  saw  she  recognized 
that  the  excuse  was  very  lame.  "  There  is  nobody  liv- 
ing within  reach  of  a  short  ride.  Will  you  return  to- 
night ? "  she  asked. 

It  was  most  unfortunate,  for  I  did  not  wish  to  an- 
ticipate the  trooper's  gift.  "  I  hardly  think  so,"  I 
answered.  "  Now,  I  will  make  a  bargain  with  you. 
If  you  will  keep  my  departure  a  secret,  you  will  dis- 
cover what  my  errand  is  very  shortly." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Lucille  Haldane ;  though  she  still 
seemed  curious.  "A  safe  journey  to  you,  but  I  don't 
envy  you  the  exercise." 


146     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

I  afterwards  had  cause  to  abuse  Trooper  Cotton  and 
his  errand,  but  I  swung  myself  into  the  saddle,  and, 
when  I  reached  the  Bitter  Lakes  trail,  I  patrolled  it  for 
two  long  hours  under  the  nipping  frost.  No  lumbering 
ox-team,  however,  crawled  up  out  of  the  white  prairie, 
though  as  yet  the  moon  was  in  the  sky;  and  I  decided 
that  the  freighter  had,  as  he  sometimes  did,  taken  another 
trail.  It  then,  fortunately,  occurred  to  me  that  I  had 
promised  to  inspect  some  horses  with  a  small  rancher 
living  four  or  five  leagues  away,  and  so  determined  to 
do  so  in  the  morning.  A  deserted  sod-house  stood  at 
no  great  distance,  which  the  scattered  settlers  kept  sup- 
plied with  fuel.  It  served  as  a  convenient  half-way  shel- 
ter for  those  who  must  break  their  long  journey  to  the 
railroad  settlement,  and  I  set  out  for  it  at  a  canter.  As 
I  did  so  the  moon  dipped,  and  darkness  settled  on  the 
prairie. 


CHAPTER   XIV 
THE    BURNING   OF    GASPARD'S   TRAIL 

THE  hole  in  the  roof  of  the  sod-house  had  been  insuffi- 
ciently stopped,  the  green  birch  billets  stored  in  a  corner 
burned  sulkily  in  the  rusty  stove,  so  that  the  earth- 
floored  room  was  bitterly  cold.  Still,  after  tying  my 
horse  at  one  end  of  it,  and  partly  burying  myself  in  a 
heap  of  prairie  hay,  I  managed  to  sink  into  a  light  slum- 
ber. I  awakened  feeling  numbed  all  through,  with  the 
pain  at  the  joints  which  results  from  sleeping  insuffi- 
ciently protected  in  a  low  temperature,  and  looked  about 
me  shivering.  There  was  not  a  spark  in  the  stove,  the 
horse  was  stamping  impatiently,  and,  when  a  sputtering 
match  had  shown  me  that  it  was  after  two  in  the  morn- 
ing, I  rose  stiffly.  Anything  appeared  better  than  slowly 
freezing  there,  and  I  strode  out  into  the  night,  leading 
the  horse  by  the  bridle. 

A  cold  wind  swept  the  prairie,  and  it  was  very  dark; 
but,  when  we  had  covered  a  league  or  so,  and  the  exer- 
cise had  warmed  me,  a  dull  red  glare  appeared  on  the 
horizon.  A  grass  fire  was  out  of  the  question  at  that 
season,  and  it  was  evident  that  somebody's  homestead 
was  burning.  I  was  in  the  saddle  the  next  moment  and 
riding  fast  towards  the  distant  blaze.  The  frozen  sod 
was  rough,  the  night  very  black,  and  haste  distinctly 
imprudent;  but  I  pressed  on  recklessly,  haunted  by  a 
fear  that  the  scene  of  the  conflagration  was  Bonaventure. 
Reaching  the  edge  of  a  rise,  I  pulled  the  horse  up  with 
a  sense  of  vast  relief,  for  a  struggling  birch  bluff  gave  me 
my  bearings  and  made  it  plain  that  neither  Haldane's 
homestead  nor  his  daughter  could  be  in  peril. 

Then  it  dawned  on  me  that  the  fire  was  at  Gaspard's 
Trail,  and  I  sat  still  a  minute,  irresolute.  I  had  no 
doubt  that  the  recent  purchaser  was  merely  acting  for 

147 


148     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Lane,  and  I  felt  tempted  to  resume  my  journey ;  but 
curiosity,  or  the  instinct  which  calls  out  each  prairie  set- 
tler when  his  neighbor's  possessions  are  in  jeopardy, 
was  too  strong  for  me,  and  I  rode  towards  the  blaze, 
but  much  more  slowly.  It  was  one  thing  to  risk  a 
broken  limb  when  danger  appeared  to  threaten  Bona- 
venture,  but  quite  another  to  do  so  for  the  sake  of  an 
unscrupulous  adversary.  It  would  have  been  well  for 
me  had  I  obeyed  the  first  impulse  which  prompted  me — 
and  turned  my  back  upon  the  fire. 

An  hour  had  passed  before  I  reached  the  house  which 
had  once  been  mine,  and,  after  tethering  the  horse  in 
shelter  of  an  unthreatened  granary,  I  proceeded  to  look 
about  me.  Gaspard's  Trail  was  clearly  doomed.  One 
end  of  the  dwelling  had  fallen  in.  The  logs,  dried  by 
the  fierce  summer,  were  blazing  like  a  furnace,  and  a 
column  of  fire  roared  aloft  into  the  blackness  of  the 
night.  Showers  of  sparks  drove  down-wind,  barns  and 
stables  were  wrapped  in  smoke;  but,  although  the  blaze 
lighted  up  the  space  about  them,  there  was  nobody 
visible.  This  was  in  one  respect  not  surprising,  because 
the  nearest  homestead  stood  a  long  distance  away,  but, 
as  the  new  owner  had  an  assistant  living  with  him,  I 
wondered  what  had  become  of  them.  From  the  position 
of  the  doors  and  windows  they  could  have  had  no 
difficulty  in  escaping,  so,  deciding  that  if  the  ostensible 
proprietor  had  deserted  his  property  I  was  not  called 
on  to  burn  myself,  I  proceeded  to  prowl  about  the 
buildings  in  case  he  should  be  sheltering  inside  one  of 
them. 

Finally  I  ran  up  against  him  carrying  an  armful  of 
tools  out  of  a  shed,  and  he  dropped  them  at  sight  of 
me.  "Hallo!  Where  did  you  spring  from?  Blamed 
hard  luck,  isn't  it?  "  said  he. 

Niven,  for  that  was  his  name,  did  not  appear  greatly 
disconcerted,  or  was  able  to  face  his  loss  with  enviable 
tranquillity.  He  was  a  lanky,  thin-faced  man,  with 
cunning  eyes,  and  I  did  not  like  the  way  he  looked 
at  me. 

"  I  was  out  on  the  prairie  and  saw  the  blaze.    Where's 


THE    BURNING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    149 

your  hired  man ;  and  is  there  nothing  better  worth  sav- 
ing than  these  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  haven't  seen  Wilkins  since  he  woke  me  up,"  was 
the  answer.  "  He  shouted  that  the  place  was  burning, 
and  he'd  run  the  horses  out  of  the  stable  and  on  to  the 
prairie,  while  I  hunted  up  odd  valuables  and  dressed 
myself.  He  must  have  done  it  and  ridden  off  to  the  near- 
est ranch  for  help,  for  I  haven't  seen  him  since.  The 
fire  had  got  too  good  a  hold  for  us  to  put  it  out." 

If  I  had  hitherto  entertained  any  doubts  as  to  the 
ownership  of  Gaspard's  Trail,  the  speaker's  manner 
would  have  dissipated  them.  No  man  would,  in  the 
circumstances,  have  wasted  time  in  speech  had  his 
own  property  been  in  danger ;  and  the  sight  of  the  home- 
stead, which  I  had  spent  the  best  years  of  my  life  in 
building,  now  burning  without  an  effort  being  made 
to  save  it,  filled  me  with  indignation. 

11  You're  the  man  who  used  to  own  this  place,  aren't 
you  ?  "  asked  Niven,  with  a  sidelong  glance.  "  Should 
have  thought  you  would  have  had  enough  of  it ;  but 
you  might  as  well  help  heave  these  things  out,  now  you're 
here." 

The  question  was  innocent,  if  unnecessary,  for  I  had 
spoken  to  him  at  the  sale;  but  the  manner  in  which 
he  put  it  made  me  long  to  assault  him,  and  I  answered 
wrathfully:  "I'll  see  you  and  your  master  burned 
before  I  move  a  hand ! " 

"  I'm  my  own  master,  worse  luck !  "  said  the  other 
coolly,  before  he  commenced  to  gather  up  his  load;  and 
then  turned  again  as  another  man  came  up  breathless. 

"  Is  that  you,  Ormesby.  Come  to  see  the  last  of 
it?  "  he  said;  and  I  saw  that  the  newcomer  was  Boone, 
or  Adams,  the  photographer. 

"  I  don't  quite  know  what  I  came  for,"  I  answered. 
"  Probably  out  of  curiosity.  It's  too  late  to  save  any- 
thing, even  if  there  were  more  water  in  the  well  than 
there  used  to  be." 

Boone  nodded  as  he  glanced  towards  the  house.  It 
was  burning  more  fiercely  than  ever.  The  straw  roof 
of  the  stable,  which  stood  not  far  away,  was  also  well 


150     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

alight,  and  we  could  scarcely  hear  each  other's  voices 
through  the  crackling  of  blazing  logs  and  the  roaring 
of  the  flame.  It  was  moodily  I  watched  it  toss  and 
tower,  now  straight  aloft,  now  hurled  earthwards  by 
the  wind  in  bewildering  magnificence.  After  many  a 
hard  day's  toil  I  had  robbed  myself  of  much  needed 
sleep  to  fashion  what  the  pitiless  fire  devoured,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  I  had  given  my  blood  to  feed  the 
flame,  and  that  the  hopes  which  had  nerved  me  had 
dissipated  like  its  smoke.  "  I  can  guess  what  you're 
feeling,  but  a  bad  failure  is  sometimes  the  best  way  to 
success.  You  will  get  over  it,"  said  Boone. 

I  was  grateful,  but  I  did  not  answer  him,  for  just 
then  a  rattle  of  wheels  broke  through  the  roar  of  the 
conflagration,  and  two  jolting  wagons  lurched  into  the 
glare.  Black  figures  on  horseback  followed,  and  a  breath- 
less man  ran  up.  "  Trooper  came  round  and  warned  us, 
and  there's  more  behind.  Looks  as  if  we'd  come  too 
late,"  he  said. 

We  formed  the  center  of  an  excited  group  in  a  few 
more  minutes,  for  Niven  had  joined  us,  and,  when  he 
had  answered  some  of  the  many  questions,  he  asked 
one  in  turn.  "  It  was  my  man  Wilkins  warned  you  ?  " 

"  I  guess  not,"  was  the  answer.  ''  Trooper  Chapleau 
saw  the  blaze  on  his  rounds  " ;  and,  when  the  others 
had  stated  how  the  news  had  been  passed  on  to  them, 
the  new  owner  said :  "Then  where  in  the  name  of  thun- 
der has  the  fool  gone  ?  " 

A  swift  suspicion  flashed  upon  me,  and  I  glanced  at 
Adams ;  but  his  face  was  serene  enough,  and,  when  the 
question  remained  unanswered,  another  thought  struck 
me.  "  Did  you  see  him  lead  the  horses  out  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,"  was  the  answer.  "  He  was  good  at  handling 
beasts,  and  I  was  way  too  busy  to  worry  about  him. 
Must  have  done  it  long  ago.  I  made  sure  he'd  lit  out 
to  ask  for  assistance,  when  I  saw  the  door  had  swung 
to." 

I  twisted  round  on  my  heel.  "  Who's  coming  with 
me  to  the  stable,  boys  ?  "  I  asked. 

The  men   looked  at  me  and  then  at  the  fire.     The 


THE    BURNING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    151 

stable  was  built  of  the  stoutest  logs  obtainable,  packed 
with  sod,  and  its  roof  of  branches,  sod,  and  straw  piled 
several  feet  thick  to  keep  out  the  frost.  A  wind-driven 
blaze  eddied  about  one  end  of  it,  but  the  rest  of  the 
low  edifice  appeared  uninjured  as  far  as  we  could  see  it 
through  the  smoke.  The  glare  beat  upon  the  weather- 
darkened  faces  of  the  spectators,  which  glowed  like 
burnished  copper  under  it ;  but,  if  devoid  of  malicious 
satisfaction,  I  thought  I  could  read  a  resolve  not  to 
interfere  stamped  on  most  of  them. 

"  There's  nothing  of  yours  inside,  and  this  fellow  says 
the  teams  are  clear,"  said  one.  "  A  bigger  fire  wouldn't 
stop  us  if  the  place  was  Ormesby's ;  but  when  the  man 
who  allows  he  owns  it  does  nothing  I'll  not  stir  a  finger 
to  pull  out  a  few  forks  and  pails  for  that  black  thief 
Lane." 

His  comrades  nodded,  and  another  man  said :  "  It's 
justice.  Boys,  you'll  remember  the  night  we  brought 
Redmond  home  ?  " 

I  knew  the  first  speaker's  statement  was  true  enough. 
One  and  all  would  have  freely  risked  their  lives  to  assist 
even  a  stranger  who  had  dealt  fairly  with  them ;  but 
they  were  stubborn  men,  unused  to  oppression,  and  re- 
cent events  had  roused  all  the  slow  vindictiveness  that 
lurked  within  them.  I  felt  very  much  as  they  did;  but, 
remembering  something,  I  was  not  quite  certain  that  the 
teams  were  out  of  the  stable,  and  the  dumb  beasts  had 
served  me  well.  Before  I  could  speak  a  police  trooper 
came  up  at  a  gallop.  "  Hallo !  What  are  you  gaping 
at?  Can't  you  stir  around  and  pull  anything  clear  of 
harm's  way,  boys  ?  "  he  shouted. 

"  We're  not  a  Montreal  fire  brigade,  and  I  forgot  my 
big  helmet,"  said  one. 

"  Not  a  stir,"  interjected  another. 

"  We'd  pull  the  very  sod  up  off  the  corral  if  you'd 
run  Lane  in  for  wholesale  robbery,"  added  a  third;  and 
it  was  not  until  the  hoarse  laugh  which  followed  died 
away  that  I  found  my  opportunity. 

"  I'm  afraid  the  horses  are  inside  there,  boys,"  I 
said.  "  It's  not  their  fault  they  belong-  to  Lane,  and 


THE    MISTRESS    OP    BONAVENTURE 

whether  you  come  along  or  not,  I'm  going  to  liberate 
them." 

There  was  a  change  in  a  moment.  I  never  saw  even 
the  most  unfortunate  settler  ill-use  his  beast,  though 
all  young  plow  oxen  and  half-broken  broncos,  besides 
a  good  many  old  ones,  are  sufficiently  exasperating. 
"  Ormesby's  talking  now,"  said  somebody ;  and  there 
was  an  approving  chorus.  "  Get  the  poor  brutes  clear, 
anyway.  Coming  right  along !  "  Then  I  started  for  the 
stable  at  a  run,  with  the  rest  of  the  company  hard  be- 
hind me. 

Thick  smoke  rolled  between  us  and  the  door,  and 
when  we  halted  just  clear  of  the  worst  of  it  a  bright 
blaze  shot  up  from  the  thatch.  The  heat  scorched  our 
faces,  and  one  or  two  fell  back  with  heads  averted;  but 
the  sound  of  a  confused  trampling  reached  us  from 
the  building.  "  We've  got  to  get  in  before  the  poor 
brutes  are  roasted,  and  do  it  mighty  smartly,"  said 
somebody. 

That  at  least  was  evident ;  but  the  question  how  it 
was  to  be  accomplished  remained,  for  I  recoiled,  blinded 
and  choking,  at  the  first  attempt,  before  I  even  reached 
the  door.  I  had  framed  it,  with  my  own  hands,  of  stout 
tenoned  logs,  so  that  it  would  fit  tightly  to  keep  out  the 
frost.  One  of  the  posts  loosened  by  the  fire  had  settled, 
apparently  since  the  last  person  entered  the  building. 
Another  man  went  with  me  the  second  time,  but  though 
we  managed  to  reach  the  handle  the  door  remained  im- 
movable, and  once  more  we  reeled  back  beaten,  when  a 
strip  of  blazing  thatch  fell  almost  on  our  heads.  Because 
the  roof  fed  it,  the  fire  was  mostly  on  the  outside  of  the 
building. 

"  Solid  as  a  rock,"  gasped  my  companion.  "  Say, 
somebody  find  a  lariat  and  we'll  heave  her  out  by  the 
roots." 

A  rope  was  found  and  with  difficulty  hitched  about 
the  handle,  after  which  a  dozen  strong  men  grasped  the 
slack  of  it.  A  glance  at  their  faces,  illumined  by  the 
glare,  showed  that  the  thought  of  the  suffering  beasts 
had  roused  them,  and  they  were  in  earnest  now.  There 


THE    BURNING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    153 

was  a  heave  of  brawny  shoulders,,  a  straining  of  sinewy 
limbs,  and  the  line  of  bodies  swayed  backwards  as 
one,  when  a  voice  rose :  "  All  together !  Heave  your 
best !  " 

I  felt  the  straining  hemp  contract  within  my  grasp. 
Trampling  feet  clawed  for  a  firmer  hold  on  the  frozen 
sod,  and  I  could  hear  the  men  behind  me  panting 
heavily.  The  door  remained  fast,  however,  and  again 
a  breathless  voice  encouraged  us :  "  This  time  does  it ! 
Out  she  comes !  " 

The  rope  creaked,  the  trampling  increased,  and  a  man 
behind  kicked  me  cruelly  on  the  ankle  during  his  efforts ; 
but  instead  of  the  jammed  door,  its  handle  came  out,  and 
the  next  moment  we  went  down  together  in  one  strug- 
gling heap.  "  There  was  a  good  birch  log  by  the  gran- 
ary. We'll  use  it  for  a  ram,"  I  gasped. 

Two  men  brought  the  log,  which  was  unusually  long 
and  heavy  for  that  region,  where  the  stoutest  trees  are 
small,  and  Boone  and  I  staggered  with  the  butt  of  it 
into  the  smoke.  The  rest  grasped  the  thinner  end, 
swung  it  back,  and  drove  the  other  forward  with  all  the 
impetus  they  could  furnish.  The  door  creaked,  but  the 
most  manifest  result  was  the  fall  of  a  further  strip  of 
burning  thatch  on  us. 

"  We  must  manage  this  time,"  spluttered  Boone.  "  If 
we  once  let  go  it  will  be  too  late  before  anyone  else 
takes  hold  again." 

Once  more  the  door  defied  us.  The  heat  was  almost 
stifling,  the  smoke  thicker  than  ever;  but,  choking, 
panting,  and  dripping  with  perspiration,  we  managed  to 
swing  and  guide  the  end  of  the  log  until  the  battered 
frame  went  down  with  a  crash,  and  we  two  reeled  over 
it  into  the  building.  The  fire  which  traveled  along  the 
roof  had  eaten  a  portion  out,  but  though  one  strip  of  the 
interior  was  flooded  with  lurid  light,  the  smoke  of  a 
burning  hay  pile  rolled  about  the  rest.  A  horse  was 
squealing  in  agony;  one  stall  partition  had  been 
wrenched  away,  and  another  kicked  to  pieces ;  while  two 
panic-stricken  brutes  blundered  about  the  building.  The 
rest  were  plunging  and  straining  at  their  tethers,  and 


154     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

there  was  a  curious  look  in  Boone's  face  as  he  turned 
to  me. 

"  Somebody  will  risk  being  kicked  to  death  before  we 

fet  them  out.  I  wish  we  could  give  their  owner  the 
rst  chance,"  he  said. 

Several  of  the  agonized  beasts  had  been  in  times  of 
loneliness  almost  as  human  friends  to  me.  Others  had, 
in  their  own  dumb  faithful  way,  helped  me  to  realize  my 
first  ambitions,  and  the  sight  of  their  suffering  turned 
me  savage.  "  Do  you  know  anything  of  this  ?  "  I  asked. 

Boone  wheeled  around  on  me  with  a  menace  in  his 
eyes,  but  apparently  mastering  his  temper  with  an  effort, 
laughed  unpleasantly.  "  No.  Take  care  you  are  not 
asked  the  same  question.  Are  you  disposed  to  let  the 
horses  roast  while  we  quarrel  ?  " 

The  latter,  at  least,  was  out  of  the  question,  and  I  had 
only  paused  to  gather  breath  and  consider  a  plan  of 
operations,  for  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to  extricate  frantic 
beasts  from  a  burning  building.  The  others  in  the  mean- 
time were  gathering  around,  and  we  set  about  it  as  best 
we  could.  At  times  thick  smoke  wreaths  blew  into  our 
eyes,  the  heat  grew  insupportable,  and  the  first  horse  I 
freed  would  have  seized  me  with  its  teeth  but  that  I 
smote  it  hard  upon  the  nostrils.  Two  men  were  knocked 
down  and  trampled  on,  another  badly  kicked,  but  amid 
an  indescribable  confusion  the  task  was  accomplished, 
until  only  one  badly  burned  horse,  and  another  with  a 
broken  leg,  remained  inside  the  building. 

"  We  can't  leave  them  to  grill,"  I  said.  "  Thorn  used 
to  keep  an  old  shotgun  inside  the  chop-chest  lid." 

It  was  Boone  who  brought  me  the  weapon,  and  the 
burned  horse  was  quickly  put  out  of  its  misery;  but  a 
portion  of  the  roof  fell  in  as  I  ran  towards  the  other. 
This  one  lay  still,  and,  I  saw,  recognized  me.  It  had 
carried  me  gallantly  on  many  a  weary  ride,  and  was  the 
one  on  which  Lucille  Haldane  had  leaped  across  the 
fence.  I  felt  like  a  murderer  when  it  turned  its  eyes 
on  me  with  an  almost  human  appeal,  for  all  that  I  could 
do  was  to  press  the  deadly  muzzle  against  its  head.  The 
shock  of  the  detonation  shook  down  a  shower  of  blazing 


THE    BURNING    OF    GASPARD'S    TRAIL    155 

fragments,  and  I  had  turned  away  with  a  horrible  sense 
of  guilt,  when  somebody  shouted,  "  There's  a  man  in 
the  end  stall!" 

The  stall  was  hidden  by  the  smoke,  but,  now  that  the 
emptied  stable  was  quieter,  a  voice  reached  us  faintly 
through  the  vapor :  "  Won't  anyone  take  me  out  of 
this?" 

Several  of  us  made  a  rush  in  that  direction;  but,  so 
far  as  memory  serves,  only  Boone  and  I  reached  the 
stall,  and,  groping  around  it  blindly,  came  upon  some- 
thing which  resembled  a  human  form.  We  lifted  it  be- 
tween us,  and  the  man  both  groaned  and  swore;  then, 
staggering  through  the  vapor,  we  came,  blackened, 
burned  a  little,  and  half-asphyxiated,  into  the  open.  The 
rest  were  already  outside,  and,  when  we  laid  down  our 
burden,  they  stood  about  him,  panting. 

"  You've  nearly  killed  me  between  you,  boys,  but  it 
wasn't  your  fault,"  he  gasped.  "  Horse  fell  over  me 
when  I  tried  to  turn  him  loose."  The  half-articulate 
words  which  followed  suspiciously  suggested  that  the 
sufferer  was  cursing  somebody,  and  I  caught  the  name 
of  Lane  before  he  lapsed  into  semi-consciousness. 

"  It's  pretty  simple,"  one  of  the  onlookers  said.  "  The 
way  Ormesby  fixed  that  door,  it  shut  itself.  He  got 
some  bones  smashed,  and  was  turned  half-silly  by  the 
shock.  Couldn't  make  us  hear  him  even  if  he  had  sense 
enough.  My  place  is  the  nearest,  and  I'll  take  him 
along." 

I  heard  my  name  called  softly,  and  saw  Boone  stand- 
ing apart  from  the  rest.  "  I  want  to  ask  why  you  spoke 
as  you  did  a  little  while  ago  ?  "  he  said. 

"  I  did  not  stop  to  reflect  just  then,  but  I'll  hear  your 
explanation  if  you  care  to  volunteer  one  before  I  apolo- 
gize," I  said. 

"  I  was  camped  under  a  bluff  with  the  wagon  when  I 
saw  the  blaze,  and  as  the  distance  was  not  great,  I  came 
in  on  foot,"  was  the  answer.  "  That  is  the  simple  truth. 
Do  you  believe  it?  " 

'"  Yes,"  I  said,  for  his  manner  impressed  me.  "  In 
turn,  you  also  hinted  something." 


156     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  I  was  giving  you  a  warning,"  said  Boone.  "  You 
are  dealing  with  a  dangerous  man,  and  can't  you  see 
that  if  there  is  any  doubt  concerning  the  fire's  origin  a 
charge  might  be  worked  up  against  you?  Be  careful 
what  you  say;  but  as  I  see  the  sergeant  yonder,  you 
need  not  mention  my  presence  unless  it  is  neces- 
sary." 

I  alluded  to  Haldane's  desire  to  see  him,  and,  when 
he  vanished,  followed  the  rest  into  the  presence  of  Ser- 
geant Mackay,  who,  ubiquitous  as  usual,  had  mysteri- 
ously appeared.  He  sat  motionless  in  his  saddle,  with 
slightly  compressed  lips,  though  his  keen  eyes  moved 
along  the  encircling  faces.  It  was  evident  that  he  was 
making  an  official  inquiry,  and  the  owner  of  the  home- 
stead was  speaking. 

"  My  name  is  Niven,  late  of  the  Brandon  district,  and 
I  purchased  this  property  recently/'  he  said. 

"  Any  partners  ?  "  asked  the  sergeant ;  and  I  noticed  a 
gleam  of  what  appeared  malicious  satisfaction  in  the 
other's  face  as  he  answered :  "  No.  You  will  find  my 
name  recorded  as  sole  owner.  All  was  right  when  I 
turned  in  about  ten  o'clock,  but  I  didn't  notice  the  time 
when  my  hired  man  Wilkins  roused  me  to  say  the  house 
was  burning.  Had  too  much  to  think  about.  Can't 
suggest  any  cause  for  the  fire,  and  it  doesn't  count  much, 
anyway,  for  the  result  is  certain.  House  and  stable 
burned  out — and  all  uninsured." 

"Had  ye  any  other  hired  man  than  Wilkins?"  inter- 
posed the  sergeant ;  and  Niven  answered :  "  No.  Stable 
didn't  seem  to  be  burning  when  I  first  got  up,  but  Wil- 
kins said  it  was  swept  by  sparks  and  he'd  get  the  horses 
out.  One  of  them  must  have  knocked  him  down,  and 
he  was  only  found  at  the  last  minute." 

"  Who  was  the  first  man  ye  met  when  ye  went  out  ?  " 
asked  the  sergeant. 

"  My  predecessor — Ormesby,"  said  Niven. 

Mackay  appeared  to  meditate  before  he  spoke  again: 
"  Where  did  ye  meet  him,  and  what  did  he  say?  " 

"  Slipping  around  the  corner  of  a  shed,  and  he  said 
he'd  see  me  burnt  before  he  stirred  a  hand  to  help," 


THE    BURNING    OF   GASPARD'S    TRAIL    157 

was  the  prompt  answer.  Then  Mackay  questioned  sev- 
eral others  before  he  turned  to  me. 

"  How  did  ye  happen  to  come  to  Gaspard's  Trail, 
Henry  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  I  was  riding  out  from  Bonaventure  to  intercept  the 
freighter  and  saw  the  blaze,"  I  answered  indignantly. 
"  I  certainly  refused  to  help  Niven  at  first,  for  I  had 
little  cause  for  goodwill  towards  him  or  the  man  behind 
him ;  but  afterwards  I  saved  most  of  his  working  beasts." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  assent  from  the  bystanders, 
but  the  sergeant,  disregarding  it,  spoke  again :  "  Did  ye 
meet  the  freighter?" 

"  No,"  I  said  bluntly. 

Mackay  smiled.  "  Ye  did  not.  I  passed  him  an  hour 
gone  by  on  the  Buffalo  trail.  What  was  your  business 
with  him?" 

"  To  ask  him  for  a  package." 

"  All  that  should  be  easily  corroborated,"  was  the  an- 
swer ;  and  I  was  glad  that  the  examination  was  over,  for, 
remembering  Boone's  warning,  it  appeared  that  my 
answers  might  give  rise  to  unpleasant  suspicions.  It 
also  struck  me  that,  in  the  hurry  and  confusion,  nobody 
had  noticed  him  or  remembered  it  if  they  had  done 
so,  while,  somewhat  strange  to  say,  after  the  last  brief 
interview  I  had  full  confidence  in  his  statement  that  he 
knew  nothing  about  the  origin  of  the  fire. 

"  I'm  thinking  that  will  do  in  the  meantime.  Chap- 
leau,  ye'll  ride  in  to  the  depot  and  wire  for  a  surgeon. 
Now,  boys,  are  any  of  ye  willing  to  take  Niven  home  ?  " 
asked  Mackay. 

Apparently  none  of  them  were  willing,  though  at  last 
two  offers  were  reluctantly  made.  It  was  the  only  time 
I  ever  saw  the  prairie  settlers  deficient  in  hospitality; 
but  the  man's  conduct  had  confirmed  their  suspicions  as 
to  his  connection  with  Lane,  which  was  sufficient  to 
prejudice  the  most  generous.  "  Maybe  he  would  be 
comfortable  if  I  took  him  along  with  me,"  Mackay  said 
dryly. 

Thereupon  the  assembly  broke  up,  and  I  rode  back 
to  Bonaventure,  reaching  it  with  the  first  of  the  daylight, 


158     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

blackened  and  singed,  while,  as  it  happened,  Lucille  Hal- 
dane  was  the  first  person  I  met  "  Where  have  you 
been  ?  Your  clothes  are  all  burned !  "  she  said. 

"  Gaspard's  Trail  is  burned  down  and  I  helped  to  save 
some  of  the  horses,"  I  answered  wearily;  and  I  never 
forgot  the  girl's  first  startled  look.  She  appeared  struck 
with  a  sudden  consternation.  It  vanished  in  a  moment, 
and,  though  she  looked  almost  guilty,  her  answer  was 
reassuring. 

"  Of  course ;  that  is  just  what  you  would  do.  But 
you  are  tired  and  must  rest  before  you  tell  me  about 
it." 

I  was  very  tired,  and  slept  until  noon,  when  I  told 
my  story  to  Haldane  and  his  daughter  together.  The 
former  made  very  few  comments,  but  presently  I  came 
upon  Lucille  alone,  and  laid  my  hand  on  her  shoulder 
as  I  said :  "  Do  you  know  that  somebody  suggested  it 
was  I  who  burned  Gaspard's  Trail  ?  " 

The  girl's  color  came  and  went  under  my  gaze;  then 
she  lifted  her  head  and  met  it  directly.  "  I — I  was 
afraid  you  might  be  suspected,  and  for  just  a  moment 
or  two,  when  you  first  came  in  looking  like  a  ghost,  I 
did  not  know  what  to  think,"  she  said.  "  But  it  was 
only  because  you  startled  me  so." 

"  I  would  not  like  to  think  that  you  could  believe  evil 
against  me,"  I  said ;  and  Lucille  drew  herself  up  a  little. 
"  Do  not  be  ungenerous.  As  soon  as  I  could  reason 
clearly  I  knew  it  was  quite — quite  impossible." 

"  I  hope  any  work  of  that  kind  is,"  I  said ;  and  Lucille 
Haldane,  turning  suddenly,  left  me. 


CHAPTER   XV 
BEAUTY   IN   DISGUISE 

WINTER  passed  very  monotonously  with  us  in  the  sod- 
house  at  Crane  Valley.  When  the  season's  work  is 
over  and  the  prairie  bound  fast  by  iron  frost,  the  man 
whom  it  has  prospered  spends  his  well-earned  leisure 
visiting  his  neighbors  or  lounging  contentedly  beside 
the  stove ;  but  those  oppressed  by  anxieties  find  the  com- 
pulsory idleness  irksome,  and  I  counted  the  days  until 
we  could  commence  again  in  the  spring.  The  goodwill 
of  my  neighbors  made  this  possible,  for  one  promised 
seed-wheat,  to  be  paid  for  when  harvest  was  gathered 
in;  another  placed  surplus  stock  under  my  charge  on 
an  agreement  to  share  the  resultant  profit,  while  Haldane 
sent  a  large  draft  of  young  horses  and  cattle  he  had 
hardly  hands  enough  to  care  for,  under  a  similar  ar- 
rangement. 

I  accepted  these  offers  the  more  readily  because,  while 
prompted  by  kindness,  the  advantages  were  tolerably 
equal  to  all  concerned.  So  the  future  looked  slightly 
brighter,  and  I  hoped  that  better  times  would  come,  if 
we  could  hold  out  sufficiently  long.  The  debt  I  still 
owed  Lane,  however,  hung  as  a  menace  over  me,  while 
although — doubtless  because  it  suited  him — he  did  not 
press  me  for  payment,  the  extortionate  interest  was  add- 
ing to  it  constantly.  Some  of  my  neighbors  were  in 
similar  circumstances,  and  at  times  we  conferred  to- 
gether as  to  the  best  means  of  mutual  protection. 

In  the  meantime  the  fire  at  Gaspard's  Trail  was  almost 
forgotten — or  so,  at  least,  it  seemed.  Haldane,  much 
against  his  wishes,  spent  most  of  the  winter  at  Bona- 
venture;  but  his  elder  daughter  remained  in  Montreal. 
Boone,  the  photographer,  appeared  but  once,  and  spent 
the  night  with  us.  He  looked  less  like  the  average  Eng- 

159 


160     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

lishman  than  ever,  for  frost  and  snow-blink  had  dark- 
ened his  skin  to  an  Indian's  color,  and  when  supper  was 
over  I  watched  him  languidly  as  we  lounged  smoking 
about  the  stove.  Sally  Steel  had  managed  to  render  the 
sod-house  not  only  habitable  but  comfortable  in  a  homely 
way,  and  though  she  ruled  us  all  in  a  somewhat  tyran- 
nical fashion,  she  said  it  was  for  our  good. 

'  There's  a  little  favor  I  want  to  ask  of  you,  Ormesby, 
but  I  suppose  you  are  all  in  one  another's  confidence?  " 
said  Boone. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  We  are  all,  in  one  sense,  part- 
ners, with  a  capital  of  about  ten  dollars,  and  are  further 
united  by  the  fear  of  a  common  enemy." 

Boone  laughed  silently,  though  his  face  was  a  trifle 
sardonic.  "  That  is  as  it  should  be,  and  you  may  have 
an  opportunity  for  proving  the  strength  of  the  combina- 
tion before  very  long.  I  have,  as  I  once  told  you,  a 
weakness  for  horses  and  cattle,  and  I  couldn't  resist 
purchasing  some  at  a  bargain  a  little  while  ago.  I  want 
you  to  take  charge  of  them  for  me.  Here  are  particu- 
lars, and  my  idea  of  an  equitable  agreement."  He  laid 
a  paper  on  the  table,  and  I  glanced  through  it.  The  con- 
ditions were  those  usual  in  arrangements  of  the  kind, 
which  were  not  then  uncommon,  but  though  cattle  and 
horses  were  lamentably  cheap,  they  could  not  be  ob- 
tained for  nothing,  and  the  total  value  surprised  me. 

"  We  are  as  honest  as  most  people  down  this  way, 
and  we  take  one  another's  word  without  any  use  for 
spilling  ink,"  observed  the  irrepressible  Sally. 

"  I  once  heard  of  a  grasping  storekeeper  being  badly 
beaten  over  a  deal  in  butter  by  a  clever  young  lady," 
said  Boone ;  and  Steel  laughed,  while  his  sister  frowned. 

"  He  deserved  it,  but  you  seem  to  know  just  every- 
thing," she  said. 

'*  Some  people  are  born  clever,  and  some  handsome ; 
but  it  is  really  not  my  fault,"  said  Boone,  with  a  smile 
at  Sally.  "  For  instance,  I  know  what  Ormesby  is 
thinking.  He  is  wondering  where  I  got  the  money  to 
pay  for  those  beasts." 

The  laugh  was  against  me,  but  I  answered  frankly: 


BEAUTY    IN    DISGUISE  161 

"  That  was  in  my  thoughts ;  but  I  also  wondered  what  I 
had  done  to  merit  the  trouble  you  have  taken  to  do  me 
a  kindness." 

"  Don't  flatter  yourself,"  said  Boone.  "  It  is  a  matter 
of  business,  and  equally  possible  that  I  wished  to  do 
some  other  person  the  opposite.  You  must  decide  to- 
night, because  I  have  a  new  assortment  of  beautifiers 
and  cosmetics  in  my  wagon  which  I  must  set  about  vend- 
ing to-morrow.  They  would  not,  of  course,  be  of  any 
use  to  Miss  Sally,  but  I  am  going  on  to  the  Swedish 
settlement  where  the  poor  people  need  them." 

It  was  not  delicate  flattery,  but  Boone  was  quick  at 
judging  his  listener's  capacity,  and  it  pleased  Miss  Steel 
— the  more  so  because  a  certain  Scandinavian  damsel 
was  her  principal  rival  in  the  question  of  comeliness. 
She  drew  herself  up  a  little,  while  Boone  smiled  whim- 
sically. "  You  know  it  is  true,"  he  said. 

The  man  had  always  interested  me.  He  was  at  home 
anywhere,  and  his  tongue  equally  adept  at  broad  prairie 
raillery  or  finely  modulated  English.  Yet  one  could  see 
that  there  was  a  shadow  upon  him. 

"  You  need  have  no  compunction,  Ormesby.  I  really 
made  only  one  successful  attempt  at  housebreaking  in 
my  life,"  he  said.  "  Do  you  accept  the  offer?  " 

"  Yes,  with  many  thanks ;  though  I  don't  quite  see 
why  you  make  it  in  writing,"  I  said.  "  There  are,  how- 
ever, a  good  many  other  things  I  don't  comprehend  just 
now,  and  sometimes  I  feel  that  I  am  being  moved  here 
and  there  blindly  to  suit  other  persons'  unknown  pur- 
poses. The  position  does  not  please  me." 

Boone  laughed.  "  There  is  something  in  the  fancy. 
You  are  the  king's  bishop,  and  I'm  not  sure  that  as  yet 
even  the  players  quite  know  their  own  game.  Of  course 
you  are  aware  that  Lane  holds  a  power  of  attachment 
against  you  ?  " 

"  At  present  there  is  nothing  but  the  prairie  sod  to 
attach,  though  I  don't  see  why  he  does  not  at  once  grab 
as  much  as  he  is  entitled  to  of  that,"  I  said.  "  If  I 
get  enough  time  I  may  be  able  to  pay  him  off  after 
harvest." 


162     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  I  hope  you  will,"  was  Boone's  answer ;  and,  chang- 
ing the  topic,  he  entertained  us  with  the  quaintest  anec- 
dotes. 

Some  time  had  passed  since  that  evening,  and  spring 
had  come  suddenly,  when  I  commenced  my  plowing. 
Hitherto  little  wheat  had  been  grown  so  far  West,  but 
the  soil  was  good,  and  I  knew  that  sooner  or  later  there 
would  be  grain  elevators  in  Crane  Valley.  Though  the 
sub-soil  was  still  frozen,  the  black  clods  that  curled  in 
long  waves  from  the  mold-board's  side  were  steaming 
under  the  April  sun ;  and  as  I  tramped  down  the  quarter- 
mile  furrow  my  spirits  rose  with  the  freshness  of  the 
spring.  It  was  good  to  be  up  and  doing  again,  and  the 
coming  months  of  strain  and  effort  would  help  me  to 
forget.  Thorn  and  Steel,  who  were  also  plowing, 
shouted  jests  as  they  passed,  and  it  was  with  a  content- 
ment long  strange  to  us  we  rested  at  noon.  Some  dis- 
tance divided  the  breaking  from  the  house,  and  we  lay 
on  the  warm  grasses,  basking  in  the  radiance  of  the 
cloudless  sun  over  our  simple  meal. 

The  whole  prairie  was  flooded  with  it,  the  air  sweet 
and  warm,  and  we  recommenced  our  task  with  pulses 
which  throbbed  in  unison  with  that  of  reawakening  na- 
ture. The  long  months  of  darkness  and  deathlike  cold 
had  gone,  green  blades  presaging  the  golden  ears  would 
soon  shoot  upwards  from  every  furrow,  and  one  drank 
in  the  essence  of  hope  eternal  in  every  breath  of  air. 
Anxiety  faded  into  insignificance,  and  one  rejoiced  in 
the  mere  possession  of  physical  strength,  while  the  ten- 
der greenness  checkering  the  frost-nipped  sod  testified 
again  that  seed  time  and  harvest  should  not  fail  so  long 
as  the*  world  rolled  onward  from  darkness  into  light. 

We  came  home  more  cheerful  than  we  had  been  for 
months,  but  I  felt  an  instinctive  foreboding  when  I  saw 
Cotton  talking  to  Sally  beside  the  corral  fence.  She  was 
apparently  bantering  him,  but  there  was  satisfaction  in 
his  face,  as,  after  some  jests  of  hers,  he  glanced  at  the 
stripes  on  his  sleeve. 

"  I  guess  he's  much  too  proud  to  look  at  you.  They've 
made  him  a  corporal !  "  said  Sally. 


BEAUTY    IN    DISGUISE  163 

There  was  a  contrast  between  us.  Spring  plowing  is 
not  cleanly  work,  and  the  mire  which  clung  about  our 
leggings  had  also  freely  spattered  our  old  jean  overalls. 
Cotton  was  immaculate  in  new  uniform,  and  sat,  a  trim, 
soldierly  figure,  on  his  freshly  caparisoned  horse. 

"  Here  is  a  note  for  you  from  Bonaventure,"  he  said. 
"  I  was  riding  in  to  the  railroad  with  some  dispatches 
and  to  bring  out  our  pay  when  Miss  Haldane  asked  me 
to  give  it  to  you." 

I  saw  a  faint  sparkle  in  Sally's  eyes  at  the  mention  of 
Bonaventure,  as  I  said :  "  It  was  very  good  of  you  to 
ride  so  far  round.  Your  superiors  are  punctilious,  are 
they  not?" 

"  With  the  exception  of  Mackay,  who's  away,  they 
don't  leave  one  much  discretion,"  said  the  corporal. 
"  Still,  I  have  time  to  spare,  and  don't  suppose  anybody 
will  be  much  the  wiser.  In  any  case,  Miss  Haldane  said 
the  note  was  urgent,  and — though  having  to  call  at  the 
reservation  I  might  have  passed  this  way  on  my  home- 
ward journey — I  came  at  once." 

The  missive  brought  a  frown  to  my  face.  "  Our 
hired  men  are  busy,  and  Corporal  Cotton  will  kindly 
take  you  this,"  it  ran.  "  Father,  who  went  East  for  a 
day  or  two,  writes  me  to  let  you  know  immediately  that 
Lane  is  coming  over  shortly  to  attach  your  horses  and 
cattle." 

I  saw  at  once  that  if  the  money-lender  seized  our 
working  beasts  in  the  midst  of  plowing,  when  nobody 
had  a  team  to  spare,  our  prospects  of  a  harvest  would  be 
ruined.  However,  I  reflected  with  grim  satisfaction  that 
the  beasts  were  not  mine,  and  that  every  man  is  entitled 
to  protect  the  property  entrusted  to  him.  "  Read  that," 
I  said,  passing  it  to  Thorn.  "  You  had  better  start  after 
supper  and  let  the  South-side  boys  know.  I'll  warn  the 
others,  and  it  strikes  me  that  Lane  will  have  his  work 
cut  out  to  drive  off  a  single  head." 

We  had  forgotten  the  bearer  of  the  message,  though 
once  or  twice  I  heard  Sally's  voice  and  Cotton's  laugh ; 
but  on  turning  towards  the  house  I  saw  he  had  backed 
his  horse  away  from  the  corral  and  was  somewhat  du- 


164     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

biously  regarding  the  fence.  Sally  leaned  against  it 
watching  him  with  an  assumption  of  ironical  admira- 
tion. 

"  I'll  see  that  you  keep  your  promise  if  I  win,"  he 
said;  and  the  girl  laughed  mockingly. 

"  If  you  don't  I'll  try  not  to  cry  over  you,"  she  re- 
torted ;  and  I  guessed  the  madcap  had  made  some  wager 
with  him  that  he  could  not  leap  the  fence.  Sally  after- 
wards declared  penitently  that  she  never  fancied  he 
would  attempt  it;  but  I  could  see  by  the  lad's  face  he 
meant  to  take  the  risk. 

"  Your  horse  is  not  fresh  enough,  and  you'll  certainly 
break  your  neck !  "  I  shouted. 

Cotton  glanced  over  his  shoulder,  then  gathered  up 
his  bridle,  while,  as  I  ran  towards  him,  Sally's  heart 
must  have  failed  her,  for  she  called  out :  "  Don't !  I'll 
pay  forfeit!" 

We  were  both  too  late.  The  corporal  had  touched 
the  beast  with  the  spurs,  and  man  and  horse  were  fly- 
ing towards  the  tall  and  well-braced  fence.  I  held  my 
breath  as  I  watched,  for  I  had  nailed  the  birch  poles 
home  securely,  and  had  not  much  faith  in  the  beast's 
leaping  powers.  It  launched  itself  into  the  air,  then 
there  was  a  crash,  and  the  top  rail  flew  into  splinters, 
while  horse  and  rider  parted  company.  The  former, 
after  rolling  over,  scrambled  to  its  feet,  but  the  uni- 
formed figure  smote  the  ground  with  a  distressful  thud 
and  lay  very  still.  Sally  screamed,  and  must  have 
climbed  the  fence,  for  when  we  had  run  around  by  the 
slip  rails  she  was  bending  over  the  limp  figure  stretched 
upon  the  sod.  Her  eyes  were  wide  with  terror. 

"  He  is  dead,  and  I  have  killed  him,"  she  said. 

I  bent  down  with  misgivings,  for  Cotton  did  not  move, 
and  there  was  something  peculiar  about  his  eyes.  "  Can 
you  hear  us  ?  Are  you  badly  hurt  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  he  answered  drowsily ;  and  I  gath- 
ered courage,  remembering  symptoms  noticeable  in  sim- 
ilar cases ;  but  Thorn  had  administered  a  dose  of  prohib- 
ited whisky  before  he  became  intelligible.  I  was  not 
wholly  sorry  for  Sally,  but  seeing  that  she  had  been 


BEAUTY    IN    DISGUISE  165 

sufficiently  punished,  I  said :  "  There  are  no  bones 
broken,  and  his  pulse  is  regaining  strength." 

Cotton's  scattered  senses  were  evidently  returning,  for 
he  looked  up,  saying :  "  I'm  only  shaken,  Miss  Steel, 
and  I  won  the  bet.  Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  Ormesby;  I 
hardly  fancy  I  could  get  up  just  yet." 

We  waited  several  minutes,  then,  forcibly  refusing 
Miss  Steel's  assistance,  carried  him  into  the  house  and 
laid  him  on  a  makeshift  couch  in  our  general-room.  His 
color  was  returning,  but  his  face  was  awry  with  pain, 
and,  so  he  expressed  it,  something  had  given  way  inside 
his  back.  It  was  a  dismal  termination  to  an  inspiriting 
day,  and  the  old  depression  returned  with  double  force 
as  I  glanced  at  the  untasted  meal  on  the  table,  at  Lu- 
cille Haldane's  note,  and  around  the  disordered  room. 
Sally  looked  badly  frightened,  Steel  very  grim,  and  Cot- 
ton seemed  to  be  suffering. 

"  It  will  pass  presently,  and  you  had  better  get  your 
supper,"  he  said.  "  I  must  try  to  eat  a  morsel,  for  I 
have  a  long  way  to  ride  to-night." 

"  You  are  not  going  to  move  off  that  couch  until 
morning  at  least,"  I  said.  But  the  corporal  answered: 
"  I  simply  must.  Is  the  horse  all  right  ?  " 

"  Doesn't  seem  much  the  worse,"  said  Steel ;  and  Sally 
held  a  teacup  to  the  corporal's  lips,  and  afterwards 
coaxed  him  very  prettily  to  eat  a  little.  Seeing  this,  the 
rest  of  us  attacked  the  cold  supper,  for  we  had  duties 
that  must  be  attended  to.  Returning  to  the  house  some 
little  time  later,  I  found  that  Sally  had  disappeared  and 
Cotton  was  standing  upright.  He  moved  a  few  paces, 
and  then  halted,  leaning  heavily  on  the  table,  while  his 
face  grew  gray  with  pain. 

"  Lie  down  at  once.  You  are  not  fit  to  move,"  I 
said. 

"  It  means  degradation  and  heaven  knows  what  be- 
sides unless  I  can  reach  the  depot  to-night,"  he  said. 
"  Mackay  is  away,  and  the  other  man's  a  cast-iron  mar- 
tinet, while  I  have  just  got  my  stripes  and  a  hint  of 
something  better.  You  see  we  are  not  supposed  to 
undertake  private  errands  when  under  definite  orders, 


166     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and  there  are  special  reports  and  a  receipt  for  the  pay 
in  my  wallet." 

He  made  another  attempt  to  reach  the  door,  then 
staggered,  and,  grasping  his  arm,  I  settled  him  with 
some  difficulty  once  more  on  the  couch.  "  You  are 
right.  There's  nothing  left  but  to  face  the  inevitable," 
he  said,  trying  to  check  a  groan. 

I  forgot  my  own  anxieties  in  my  regret.  "  I  am  very 
sorry  this  should  have  happened,"  I  said.  "  You  were 
far  too  generous ;  but  can't  one  of  us  take  in  the  papers 
and  get  the  money  ?  " 

Cotton  tried  to  smile,  though  his  fingers  twitched. 
"  Miss  Haldane  asked  me ;  and  it  would  be  no  use. 
They  wouldn't  give  you  the  money,  and  if  they  did, 
how  would  that  get  over  the  fact  that  I'm  lying  here 
helpless?  Why  couldn't  it  have  happened  on  the  return 
journey?  " 

"  Did  you  tell  Miss  Haldane  you  were  running  a 
risk  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Would  one  naturally  do  so  when  she  asked  a 
favor?"  he  answered,  with  a  trace  of  indignation. 

It  was  of  course  absurd  of  Corporal  Cotton,  but  I  felt 
very  sorry  for  him  when  he  laid  his  head  down  with  a 
groan,  and  I  subsequently  surmised  that  Sally  had  over- 
heard part,  at  least,  of  the  conversation,  for  when  the 
lad,  who  had  perhaps  not  wholly  recovered  from  the 
weakness  of  the  shock,  sank  into  sleep,  she  called  me. 

"  It's  all  my  fault,  and  I'll  never  forgive  myself ;  but 
I  never  guessed  he'd  rush  the  fence,"  she  said.  "  They 
couldn't  put  him  in  prison  ?  " 

"  They  might  turn  him  out  of  the  service,  which,  in 
his  eyes,  would  be  worse,"  I  answered  dryly.  "  It  should 
be  a  lesson  to  you,  Sally.  You  can't  help  being  pretty, 
but  that  is  no  reason  why  you  should  so  often  lead  some 
unfortunate  man  into  difficulties." 

Sally's  penitent  expression  vanished,  and  there  was  a 
flash  in  her  eyes.  "  You  are  so  foolish,  all  of  you,  and 
I  guess  you  needn't  look  wise,  Harry  Ormesby.  He  is 
perhaps  a  little  worse  than  he  rest — and  that's  why  one 
likes  him.  When  he  wakes,  you  and  Charlie  have  just 


BEAUTY    IN    DISGUISE  167 

got  to  take  those  tight  things  off  him  and  put  him  in 
your  berth.  If  anybody  wants  him  the  next  day  or  two 
they'll  have  to  tackle  me." 

We  did  so  presently,  and,  after  seeing  that  our  pa- 
tient was  comfortable,  Sally  returned,  wearing  his  uni- 
form tunic.  "  How  does  this  fit  me  ?  "  she  asked. 

Steel  looked  angry,  and  I  grew  thoughtful.  Nobody 
who  knew  her  was,  as  a  rule,  astonished  at  Sally's 
actions,  but  she  asked  the  question  soberly,  with  no 
trace  of  mischief. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  say  that  you  would  look  well 
in  anything  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  don't.  You  can  tell  lies  enough  when  you  trade 
horses,"  she  answered  tartly.  "  It's  a  plain  question — 
how  does  this  thing  fit  me?  " 

"  Tolerably  well,"  and  I  surveyed  her  critically.  "  It 
is  a  trifle  large,  but  if  you  don't  draw  it  in  too  much  at 
the  waist  it  wouldn't  fit  you  badly.  Are  you  going  to 
turn  police  trooper,  Sally  ?  " 

Miss  Steel  was  not  generally  bashful,  but  she  looked 
a  trifle  confused  as  she  answered :  "  Don't  ask  any  more 
fool  questions." 

I  went  out  soon  afterwards  to  overhaul  a  plow  under 
a  shed,  and  had  spent  considerable  time  over  it,  when 
Steel  approached  with  a  lantern.  "  Have  you  seen  any- 
thing of  Sally?"  he  asked. 

"  No,"  I  answered  carelessly.  "  What  mischief  has 
she  been  contriving  now  ?  " 

"That's  just  what  I'm  anxious  to  know;  that,  and 
where  the  corporal's  horse  is,"  he  said.  "  They're  both 
missing,  and  Cotton's  fast  asleep.  I  " — and  Steel  used 
a  few  illegal  expletives  before  he  continued — "  I  can't 
find  his  uniform  either." 

"  It  must  be  somewhere.  You  can't  have  looked 
properly,"  I  said ;  and  Steel  restrained  himself  with  an 
effort. 

"  You  can  try  yourself,  and  I'd  give  a  hundred  dollars, 
if  I  had  it,  to  see  you  find  it,"  he  said. 

I  hurriedly  left  the  plow,  but  though  we  hunted  every- 
where could  discover  no  trace  of  the  missing  uniform. 


168    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  I  didn't  think  we  would,"  said  the  harassed  brother, 
with  a  groan  of  dismay.  "  She's — well,  the  Lord  only 
knows  what  Sally  would  do  if  she  took  the  notion,  and 
there's  no  shirking  the  trouble.  I've  got  to  find  out  if 
she  has  the  whole  blame  outfit  on." 

"  I'll  leave  you  to  settle  that  point,"  I  said ;  and  hear- 
ing the  locked  door  of  Sally's  portion  of  the  house 
wrenched  open  and  garments  being  hurled  about,  I  sur- 
mised that  Steel  was  prosecuting  his  inquiries.  He  flung 
the  split  door  to  with  a  crash  when  he  came  out,  leaving, 
as  I  saw  by  a  brief  glimpse,  ruin  behind  him,  and  he 
grew  very  red  in  the  face  as  he  looked  at  me. 

"  It  will  be  a  mighty  relief  when  she  marries  some- 
body," he  said  gloomily.  "  The  only  comfort  is  that 
you're  a  sensible  man,  and  one  could  trust  you,  Ormesby. 
You  will  never  breathe  a  word  of  this.  There's  no  use 
trying  to  catch  her,  for  she  can  get  as  much  out  of  a 
beast  as  any  man." 

I  pledged  myse-lf  willingly,  smothering  a  wild  desire 
to  laugh;  and,  as  it  happened,  it  was  I  who  met  the 
truant  riding  home  very  wearily  two  days  later.  Her 
mount  was  a  chestnut,  while  Cotton's  horse  was  gray, 
and  there  was  a  bundle  strapped  before  her.  Still,  ex- 
cept for  a  spattering  of  mire,  she  was  dressed  in  a  man- 
ner befitting  a  young  lady,  and  actually  blushed  crimson 
when  I  accosted  her. 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Sally,  and  where  did  you  get 
the  horse?" 

"  In  to  the  railroad ;  and  I  borrowed  him  from  Cars- 
ley's  wife.  They'll  send  the  corporal's  over,"  she  said. 
"  I'm  very  tired,  Harry  Ormesby.  Won't  you  get  me 
supper  instead  of  worrying  me  ?  " 

Silence  seemed  best,  and  I  could  not  resist  the  appeal, 
and  so  hurried  back  to  set  about  the  supper ;  while  what 
passed  between  brother  and  sister  I  do  not  know,  though 
when  they  came  in  together  Sally  appeared  triumphant 
and  Steel  in  a  very  bad  humor. 

"  I'm  going  to  see  whether  you  have  let  the  patient 
starve.  You'll  come  along  with  me,"  she  said,  when  she 
came  out  of  her  own  quarters,  with  no  trace  of  the 


BEAUTY    IN    DISGUISE  169 

journey  about  her.  We  entered  the  lean-to  shed,  which 
Steel  and  I  occupied  together,  and  found  Cotton  better 
in  health,  though  as  depressed  as  he  had  been  all  day. 
Sally  held  out  a  bag  and  a  handful  of  documents  towards 
him. 

"  There  are  your  papers  and  money.  Now  all  you 
have  to  do  is  to  get  well  again,"  she  said  demurely. 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  relief  in  the  corporal's 
face,  and  he  positively  clutched  at  the  articles  she  handed 
him.  "  You  don't  know  what  this  has  saved  me  from. 
But  how  did  you  get  them?" 

A  flush  of  tell-tale  color  crept  into  Sally's  cheeks,  and 
I  noticed  that  her  voice  was  not  quite  steady  as  she  an- 
swered him.  "  You  must  solemnly  promise  never  to 
ask  that  again,  or  to  tell  anyone  you  were  not  at  the 
depot  yourself.  Nobody  will  ask  you,  we  fixed  it  up  so 
well.  Now  promise,  before  I  take  them  back  again." 

The  lad  did  so,  and  Sally  glanced  at  me.  "  If  Harry 
Ormesby  ever  tells  you  I'll  poison  him." 

I  do  not  think  Corporal  Cotton  ever  discovered  Sally's 
part,  or  who  personated  him,  though  he  apparently  sus- 
pected both  Steel  and  myself;  but  when  we  went  out 
together  I  turned  to  the  girl :  "  Just  one  question,  and 
then  we'll  forget  it.  How  did  you  manage  at  the  depot, 
Sally?" 

Miss  Steel  avoided  my  glance,  but  she  laughed.  "  It 
was  very  dark,  there  was  only  a  half-trimmed  lamp,  and 
the  agent  was  'most  asleep.  It's  pretty  easy,  anyway, 
to  fool  a  man,"  she  said. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  DEFENSE  OF  CRANE  VALLEY 

IT  was  two  days  before  Cotton  could  be  sent  to  the 
police  outpost  in  a  wagon,  but,  so  far  as  we  could  gather, 
the  officer  temporarily  in  charge  took  it  for  granted  he 
had  been  injured  on  his  homeward  ride  around  by  the 
Indian  reserve  which  would  have  led  him  through  Crane 
Valley.  Some  time,  however,  passed  before  he  was  fit 
for  the  saddle.  Meanwhile  Steel  and  I  discussed  Lane's 
latest  move,  and  the  best  means  of  counteracting  it. 

"  If  we  knew  just  what  he  wanted  it  would  give  us 
a  better  show,  but  we  don't,  and  Lane  doesn't  tell  any- 
body," my  comrade  observed  gloomily. 

"  It's  tolerably  clear  that  he  wants  Crane  Valley/'  said 
I.  And  Steel  proceeded :  "  Then  why  doesn't  he  sail 
in  and  take  all  he's  entitled  to?  " 

"  A  part  would  not  satisfy  him  when  he  wants  it  all," 
I  said.  "  If  he  seizes  the  working  beasts  and  breeding 
stock  now  we  shall  be  left  helpless  for  the  season.  He 
will  take  just  enough  to  cripple  me,  and  leave  me  still  in 
debt,  while  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  raise  money  to 
pay  him  off  until  the  question  of  the  railroad  is  settled." 

"Will  it  ever  be  built?"  asked  Steel. 

"  It  must  be,  some  day ;  but  whether  that  will  be  be- 
fore we  are  ruined  or  buried,  heaven  only  knows,"  I 
said.  "  Haldane  seems  to  think  the  time  will  not  be 
long,  and  judging  by  his  tactics,  Lane  agrees  with  him. 
Still,  the  newspapers  take  an  opposite  view." 

"  If  it  isn't " — and  Steel  frowned  at  the  harness  he 
was  mending — "  what  will  we  poor  fools  do  ?  " 

"  Stand  Lane  off  as  long  as  possible,  and  then  strike 
for  the  mines  in  British  Columbia.  That,  however, 
concerns  the  future,  and  we  have  first  to  decide  what  we 
will  do  if  Lane  arrives  to-morrow." 

170 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    CRANE    VALLEY    171 

Steel's  face  grew  somber,  but  he  waited  until  I  added : 
"  Then,  because  they're  not  my  beasts  as  yet,  if  he  can 
take  them  by  main  force — and  I  almost  hope  he'll  try — 
he  is  welcome  to  do  so." 

"  Now  you're  talking,"  and  Steel  smote  a  dilapidated 
saddle  until  the  dust  leaped  forth  from  it.  "  The  law 
on  debt  liens  is  mighty  mixed,  but  I  figure  that  the  man 
who  can  keep  hold  has  the  best  of  it.  Jacques,  Gordon, 
and  the  rest  will  stand  by  us  solid,  and  I'd  work  two 
years  for  nothing  to  get  a  fair  chance  at  Lane." 

We  both  determined  on  resistance;  but  it  struck  me 
that  ours  was  a  very  forlorn  hope,  and  that  the  odds 
were  heavily  against  two  plain  farmers,  equally  devoid 
of  legal  knowledge  and  of  capital,  who  had  pitted  them- 
selves against  a  clever,  unscrupulous  man  with  the  com- 
mand of  apparently  an  unlimited  amount  of  money. 

Lane  did  not  come  next  day,  nor  the  following  one. 

Indeed,  a  number  passed  without  bringing  any  word  of 
him,  and  because  idleness  meant  disaster,  we  perforce 
relaxed  our  vigilance  and  resumed  our  plowing.  I  had 
just  yoked  a  pair  of  oxen  to  a  double  plow  one  morn- 
ing, when  Boone's  wagon  came  lurching  up  as  fast  as 
two  whitened  horses  could  haul  it  across  the  prairie. 

"  Lane  came  in  with  a  hard-looking  band  of  rascals  by 
the  Pacific  Mail  last  night,"  he  said.  "  They  had  got 
whisky  somewhere,  and  smashed  the  hotel  windows  be- 
cause Imrie  wouldn't  get  them  supper  in  the  middle  of 
the  night.  He  would  start  as  soon  as  they  were  partly 
sober.  Are  you  prepared  to  protect  your  property, 
Ormesby  ?  " 

"  I  am  ready  to  protect  other  people's,  which  will  suit 
me  a  good  deal  better  in  this  instance/'  I  said,  with  a 
certain  satisfaction  that  the  time  for  open  resistance  had 
come  a  last,  though  Lane  had  cunningly  chosen  a  sea- 
son when  every  man's  presence  was  necessary  at  his  own 
homestead. 

"  Don't  count  too  much  on  that,"  said  Boone.  "  If 
you  have  no  documentary  evidence,  even  the  actual 
owners  might  have  difficulty  in  substantiating  your 
claim.  Now  you  see  why  I  demanded  a  written  agree- 


172     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ment.  It  strikes  me  that  in  this  case  possession  is  every- 
thing." 

"If  I  can  keep  whole  in  body  until  sundown,  posses- 
sion will  remain  with  us,"  I  said.  "  But  there  is  no 
time  to  spare  for  talking.  It  will  take  hours  to  bring 
my  neighbors  up." 

"  Of  course  you  arranged  with  Haldane  to  send  you 
assistance  ?  "  said  Boone ;  and  hurled  out  an  expletive 
when  I  answered  stolidly:  "That  is  just  what  I  did 
not  do.  I  do  not  even  know  whether  he  is  at  home.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  drag  all  one's  friends  into  a  private 
quarrel." 

"  Goodness  knows  why  you  are  so  unwarrantably 
proud,  and  it  is  not  worth  while  wasting  time  over  that 
question  now,"  said  Boone.  "  Roll  up  your  thick-headed 
stockmen.  I'm  going  on  to  Bonaventure  for  the  one 
man  whose  presence  would  be  worth  a  hundred  of 
them." 

He  lashed  his  horses  as  he  spoke,  and  I  roused  myself 
to  action,  while  long  before  his  wagon  dipped  over  the 
rim  of  the  prairie  Thorn  had  set  out  at  a  gallop  to  bring 
our  neighbors  in.  A  neighbor  may  dwell  from  one  to 
ten  leagues  away  in  that  country.  This  left  only  Steel 
and  me  to  hold  Crane  Valley,  with  the  exception  of 
Sally.  The  girl  absolutely  refused  to  leave  us,  and  it 
may  not  have  been  by  accident  that  several  heavy- 
handled  brushes  lay  convenient  beside  the  stove.  The 
stock  were  driven  off  as  far  as  we  dare  follow  them  across 
the  prairie,  and  we  hoped  they  would  remain  unseen  in 
a  hollow;  the  working  horses  were  made  fast  in  the 
stable;  and  when  a  few  head  of  pedigree  cattle  had  been 
secured  in  the  corral,  we  could  only  sit  down  and  wait 
the  siege. 

I  spent  several  hours  perched  most  uncomfortably  on 
the  roof  with  a  pair  of  glasses ;  but  though  the  day  was 
clear,  nothing  appeared  above  the  rim  of  the  prairie.  It 
spread  all  around  the  horizon  in  low  rolling  rises,  empty 
and  desolate.  My  eyes  grew  dazzled,  the  continued  use 
of  the  glasses  produced  a  distressful  headache;  but  still 
nothing  moved  on  either  rise  or  level,  and  it  was  a  relief 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    CRANE    VALLEY    173 

when  at  last  Sally  hailed  me :  "  Come  down  and  get 
your  dinner;  scenery  won't  feed  anybody." 

I  had  forgotten  there  was  such  a  thing  as  food,  and 
my  throat  and  lips  were  dry;  but  on  descending  I  was 
surprised  to  find  myself  capable  of  making  an  excellent 
meal. 

"  You'll  feel  considerably  better  after  that,"  said  Sally, 
who  watched  our  efforts  with  much  approval  "  I  guess 
you  have  forgotten  you  had  no  breakfast,  either  of 
you." 

"  That's  so,"  assented  her  brother.  "  It's  the  first 
time  I  ever  forgot  it  in  my  life.  Say,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  that  big  hasp-bar,  Sally  ?  " 

Miss  Steel's  movements  were  perhaps  a  little  nervous, 
but  she  was  evidently  not  troubled  by  timidity.  "  I  fig- 
ured if  anybody  wanted  to  come  poking  in  here  it  might 
keep  them  out — if  it  was  nicely  warmed,"  she  said. 

"  You  must  do  nothing  rash ;  and  you  must  keep  out 
of  harm's  way,  Sally,"  I  said  sternly.  "  They  would  be 
justified  in  seizing  my  household  property." 

"  There's  mighty  little  of  it."  And  Miss  Steel  glanced 
around  the  room  with  contempt.  "  Do  you  figure  Lane 
would  come  out  hundreds  of  miles  for  your  old  crock- 
ery? Anything  that's  pretty  round  this  place  is  mine, 
and  I'm  anxious  to  see  the  man  who's  going  to  take  it 
from  me." 

I  looked  at  the  excited  girl  and  then  at  her  brother, 
who  shook  his  head  in  signal  that  further  remonstrance 
would  be  useless.  My  ideas  respecting  women  had 
changed  of  late,  and  I  somewhat  resented  the  fact  that 
they  would  not  be  content  to  sit  still  and  be  worshiped, 
but  must  insist  on  playing  an  active,  and  often  a  leading, 
part  in  all  that  happened. 

"  When  Sally  has  made  up  her  mind  there's  no  use  for 
anybody  to  talk,"  said  Steel. 

I  had  hardly  mounted  to  the  roof  again  before  a  line 
of  diminutive  objects  straggled  up  above  the  horizon, 
and  I  called  down :  "  They're  coming !  " 

"  Which  way  ?  "  was  the  eager  question ;  and  Steel 
stamped  when  I  answered  moodily :  "  From  the  south." 


174     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  Lane's  outfit.  Can't  you  see  the  others  ? "  he 
shouted. 

I  swept  the  glasses  around  the  circumference  of  the 
prairie,  and  my  voice  was  thick  with  disappointment  as 
I  answered :  "  No." 

;<  Then  you  and  I  will  have  all  we  can  do ;  and 
I  wish  to  the  Lord  Sally  were  anywhere  else,"  said 
Steel. 

The  diminutive  figures  rapidly  resolved  themselves 
into  mounted  men,  with  a  wagon  behind  them,  but  still 
all  the  rest  of  the  prairie  was  empty,  and  each  time 
Steel  asked  the  question :  "  Can't  you  see  them  yet  ?  " 
I  grew  more  doggedly  savage  as  I  answered :  "  No." 

At  last,  when  the  money-lender's  party  were  close  at 
hand,  I  called  out  that  three  horsemen  were  just  visible 
in  the  north.  "  That's  Gordon ;  Jacques  and  the  rest 
can't  be  here  for  a  long  while.  It's  time  to  come  down," 
said  Steel. 

I  came  down,  guessing  that  Lane,  being  on  a  lower 
level,  could  not  see  our  allies,  and  waited  with  Steel, 
apparently  unarmed,  though  we  had  weapons  handy,  in 
the  space  between  the  house  and  the  stable.  Sally  had 
disappeared  inside  the  dwelling,  and  I  trusted  that  she 
would  remain  there.  Presently,  amid  a  rattle  of  gear 
and  a  confused  trampling,  a  band  of  men  rode  up  to  the 
homestead  and  ranged  themselves  in  rude  order  on  each 
side  of  a  wagon,  some  of  them  yelling  in  imitation  of 
the  American  cowboy  as  they  wheeled.  They  were  un- 
kempt, dirty,  and  dissolute  in  appearance,  and  I  was 
not  altogether  surprised  to  see  that  most  of  them  were 
English  or  Americans.  One  finds  very  little  errant  ras- 
cality on  the  Canadian  prairie,  perhaps  because  our 
money  is  very  hardly .  earned,  and  there  are  few  people 
worth  exploiting  there ;  but  odd  specimens  exported  from 
the  great  Republic  and  from  the  Old  Country  by  dis- 
gusted friends  gravitate  towards  the  smaller  Western 
cities  when  they  find  life  in  the  waste  too  hard,  and  Lane 
had  evidently  collected  some  of  the  worst  of  them. 
He  sat  in  the  wagon,  smoking,  and  actually  smiled 
at  me. 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    CRANE    VALLEY    175 

"  Kind  of  surprise  party,  isn't  it?  Ormesby  ?  "  he  said. 
"  I've  come  round  to  collect  what  I  can  in  accordance 
with  the  notice  served  on  you.  Here's  a  wallet  full  of 
papers,  and  this  gentleman  represents  legal  authority. 
He  had  a  partner,  but  we  lost  him.  Now,  I've  no  per- 
sonal feeling  against  you,  and  won't  give  you  any  trouble 
if  it  can  be  avoided." 

Strange  to  say,  I  believed  he  spoke  no  more  than  the 
truth,  and  regarded  us  dispassionately  as  merely  a  source 
from  which  a  little  profit  might  be  wrung.  Neither  Steel 
nor  I,  however,  could  look  at  the  matter  with  equal  calm- 
ness. We  were  standing  for  our  rights,  and  ready  to 
strike  for  shelter  and  daily  bread,  while  the  memory  of 
former  wongs  and  a  fierce  revolt  against  the  rich  man's 
oppression  fired  our  blood.  Nevertheless,  I  remembered 
that  it  was  necessary  to  gain  time,  and  answered  as 
coolly  as  I  could : 

"  In  the  first  place,  the  stock  and  horses  belong  to  my 
neighbors,  and  in  the  second,  you  will  be  overstepping 
limits  if  you  violently  break  into  any  part  of  my  home- 
stead. Neither  does  the  law  allow  any  private  individual 
to  gather  a  band  of  ruffians  and  forcibly  seize  his  debt- 
or's property." 

Lane  probed  his  cigar  with  slow  deliberateness. 
"  You  are  growing  quite  smart,  Ormesby ;  but  isn't  it 
a  pity  you  didn't  display  your  acumen  earlier?  I  don't 
know  that  a  stable  can  be  considered  a  dwelling  under 
the  homestead  regulations,  and  there's  nothing  to  pre- 
vent any  man  from  hiring  assistance  to  drive  home  se- 
questrated cattle.  It  is  this  gentleman's  business  to  seize 
them,  not  mine.  Neither  is  it  clear  how  far  a  proved 
agreement  to  feed  another  person's  stock  frees  them  of 
a  lien  for  debt.  Have  you  got  any  in  writing  ?  " 

It  was  evident  that,  in  homely  parlance,  my  adversary 
held  the  best  end  of  the  stick.  The  administration  of 
justice  is  necessarily  somewhat  rough-and-ready  in  the 
West,  and  I  saw  that  the  representative  of  legal  author- 
ity was  at  least  two-thirds  drunk.  I  also  had  little 
doubt  that  Lane's  mercenaries  would  act  independently 
of  him;  while  if  they  exceeded  legal  limits  there  would 


176     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

be  only  our  testimony  to  prove  it  against  a  dozen  wit- 
nesses. Possession  was  evidently  everything. 

Lane  had  possibly  guessed  my  thoughts,  for  he  said: 
"  Don't  be  mad  enough  to  start  a  circus,  Ormesby.  We 
have  come  a  long  way  for  the  beasts,  and  mean  to  get 
them.  Can't  you  see  that  we  could  beat  you  if  it  came 
to  testimony?  And  I  don't  mind  admitting  that  these 
rascals  are  not  particular." 

His  tranquillity  enraged  me,  but  I  managed  to  answer 
him :  "  If  you  drive  a  hoof  off  you  will  have  to  defend 
your  action  against  richer  men  than  I." 

"  Well,  I'll  take  my  chances.  It  would  cost  them 
piles  of  money,  and  they  would  gain  nothing  then,"  he 
said.  "  Say,  officer,  hadn't  you  better  begin  ?  " 

"  Gotsh  any  papersh  to  prove  objection?"  demanded 
that  individual,  turning  to  me.  And  I  took  no  pains  to 
hide  my  disgust  as  I  answered :  "  If  I  had  I  should  not 
trouble  to  show  them  to  you." 

Steel,  however,  broke  in :  "  We  have.  I'll  show  you 
a  receipt  for  so  many  beasts  to  be  fattened  for  Roland 
Adams." 

"  Whersh  you  keep  them  ?  "  demanded  the  other. 

"  Where  you  won't  find  them ;  'way  back  on  the  prai- 
rie," Steel  answered  triumphantly. 

It  was  a  blunder,  for  the  other,  who  had  a  little 
shrewdness  left,  straightened  himself.  "  Then  all  the 
beastsh  heah  belong  to  someone  else,"  he  said,  with  a 
tipsy  leer,  and  waved  his  hand  to  the  rest.  "  No  papersh 
worth  a  shent.  Whasher  foolin'  for?  We'll  just  walk 
into  the  stable." 

Several  men  sprang  from  their  saddles,  but  Steel 
reached  the  door  ahead  of  them,  and  stood  with  his  back 
against  it,  swinging  a  great  birch  staff.  "  Nobody  comes 
in  here,"  he  said. 

I  was  at  his  side  the  next  moment  with  a  keen  hay- 
fork, and  the  men  halted  in  a  semi-circle  at  the  sight 
of  our  grim  faces. 

"  These  points  will  reach  anybody  within  six  feet," 
I  said. 

"  Better  quit  fooling  while  your  hide's  whole.   There's 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    CRANE    VALLEY    177 

'most  a  dozen  of  us,"  said  one,  while  another  criticised 
my  personal  appearance  in  uncomplimentary  terms.  One 
or  two  in  the  background  advised  their  comrades  as  to 
how  we  might  best  be  maimed,  but  stood  fast  themselves, 
for  Steel  was  big  and  brawny,  and  looked  coolly  murder- 
ous as  he  balanced  the  heavy  staff ;  while  whoever  looked 
at  me  did  so  over  the  twin  points  of  steel.  The  inter- 
lude lasted  at  least  a  minute,  and  I  listened  with  strained 
attention  for  the  thud  of  hoofs.  Gordon  could  not  be 
far  off,  but  he  remained  invisible  behind  a  low  rise,  even 
if  the  buildings  had  not  obscured  our  view.  Then  a  new- 
comer shoved  his  way  through  the  rest,  and  I  saw  that 
he  was  the  genuine  article  as  he  stood  before  me  in 
Montana  cattle-rider's  dress. 

"  It's  a  mighty  poor  show  you're  making,  boys," 
he  said  contemptuously.  "  Stand  out  of  my  way.  You 
can  pick  up  the  pieces  when  I've  done  with  them." 

He  danced  up  and  down  a  few  paces  and  yelled,  either 
to  bewilder  or  to  impress  us,  and  I  was  conscious  of  a 
grim  amusement,  while  Steel  watched  him  narrowly. 
Then,  for  the  man  had  spirit  enough,  he  leaped  at  Steel 
like  a  panther,  with  something  in  his  hand  that  twinkled. 
He  was,  however,  a  second  too  late,  for  the  birch  staff 
met  him  in  the  center  of  his  face,  and,  falling  like  a  log, 
he  lay  where  he  fell.  Steel  deliberately  snapped  the 
knife  beneath  his  heel,  and  Lane  shouted  something  as 
my  comrade  said :  "  The  next  man  I  down  at  that  trick 
will  get  his  skull  smashed  in." 

There  was  a  wrathful  cry  from  the  others,  which  con- 
vinced me  that  if  we  took  our  eyes  off  them  for  an  in- 
stant the  rush  would  come;  but  they  hesitated,  and 
Steel,  standing  poised  with  one  foot  forward  and  baleful 
eyes,  made  the  staff  whistle  round  his  head.  "  You're  a 
mighty  long  time  beginning.  Who's  next — or  maybe  you 
only  brought  one  man  along?  "  he  said. 

"  Where's  that  blamed  officer?  I  guess  this  is  his  job," 
said  one;  but  the  worthy  mentioned  drew  further  back 
from  the  edge  of  the  group. 

"  Deputsh  you  my  authority.  Thish  not  a  house.  Only 
beastsh  live  in  stables,"  he  explained. 


178     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"Better  get  it  over.  Sail  in!"  said  one  of  the 
biggest,  and  there  was  a  shout  of  "  Look  out ! "  from 
Steel. 

Four  or  five  men  made  a  rush  upon  us,  and,  not  wish- 
ing to  inflict  lethal  injuries  unless  my  life  were  threat- 
ened, I  had  barely  time  to  reverse  the  fork  before  they 
were  within  striking  distance.  Another  reeled  backwards 
headlong  beneath  the  staff,  and,  knowing  that  a  thrust  is 
more  effective  and  harder  to  evade  than  a  blow,  I  used 
the  long-hafted  fork,  blunt-end  foremost,  as  a  pike  with 
considerable  success.  The  struggle  continued  for  per- 
haps a  minute,  and  was  sharp  while  it  lasted.  Several 
times  a  panting  man  got  within  my  guard,  and  Steel 
brought  him  down;  but  I  was  struck  heavily,  and  had 
only  a  blurred  vision  of  waving  arms,  scowling  faces, 
and  the  whirling  staff,  while  the  air  seemed  filled  with 
discordant  shouts  of  encouragement  from  those  outside. 
Either  by  sheer  force  of  desperation,  or  by  the  power  of 
better  weapons,  we  wore  them  out,  and  the  group  broke 
up.  One  or  two  limped  badly  as  they  straggled  back, 
some  swore,  and  there  was  blood  on  the  faces  and  gar- 
ments of  the  rest. 

"  One  fellow  got  me  badly  on  the  chest,"  said  Steel, 
who  breathed  heavily,  and  I  was  conscious  of  several 
painful  spots;  and  when  I  had  recovered  breath  I  saw 
that  Lane  had  drawn  his  wagon  back  some  distance,  and 
was  apparently  upbraiding  his  bodyguard  in  no  measured 
terms. 

"  Jump  clear ! "  cried  Steel  presently,  and  I  sprang 
aside  a  moment  too  late,  for  an  exultant  shout  went  up 
when  a  heavy  billet  struck  me  on  the  head.  I  felt  the 
blood  trickle  warm  and  sticky  into  one  eye,  and  I  fell 
against  the  door  feeling  faint  and  sick,  then  stiffened 
myself  again,  with  the  fork  held  points  foremost  this 
time.  Lane,  it  seemed,  had  lost  control  of  his  followers, 
and  would  doubtless  rely  on  hard  swearing  to  protect 
himself  from  unfortunate  consequences,  for  I  now  sus- 
pected there  would  be  bloodshed  unless  help  arrived  very 
shortly. 

"  They're   going    for    the    house,    and    Sally's    inside 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    CRANE    VALLEY    179 

there,"  cried  Steel ;  and  for  the  first  time  I  remembered 
that  the  dwelling  was  unprotected,  and  feared  that  the 
girl  had  not  slipped  away,  as  she  might  have  done  by  a 
rear  window. 

One  of  Lane's  men  reached  the  threshold  before  we 
did,  and  three  or  four  others  followed  hard  upon  his 
heels.  The  door  was  wide  open,  and  I  sincerely  trusted 
that  Sally  had  made  her  escape.  She  had  not,  however, 
for  the  handle  of  a  long  brush  swung  out,  and  the  first 
ruffian  who  rushed  at  the  entrance  staggered  backwards 
against  the  comrade  behind  him.  Steel  flung  him  head- 
long the  next  moment;  the  rest  yielded  passage  before 
the  tines  of  the  fork,  and  we  sprang  into  the  house, 
while  our  enemy's  reinforcements  came  up  at  a  run.  So 
far  we  had  succeeded  better  than  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, but  our  adversaries  were  growing  furious,  and  the 
defense  of  our  property  no  longer  appeared  the  main 
question.  The  girl  had  dropped  the  brush  and  grasped 
a  red-ended  iron  bar. 

"  Give  it  to  me,  and  reach  down  that  rifle,  Sally,"  I 
gasped,  and  while  Steel  dragged  up  furniture  for  a  barri- 
cade, the  rest,  not  knowing  its  magazine  was  empty,  re- 
coiled before  the  Winchester  muzzle. 

"  I'll  be  through  in  another  minute.  Keep  them  out," 
Steel  said. 

A  brief  respite  followed,  for  the  iron  was  glowing 
still,  and  our  enemies'  supply  of  missiles  was  evidently 
exhausted;  but  as  we  waited,  wondering  what  would 
happen  next,  I  heard  a  beat  of  hoofs,  and  Sally  cried 
out  triumphantly  as  three  well-mounted  men  swept  up 
at  a  gallop. 

"  Ride  over  them !  "  shouted  somebody.  Warning  cries 
went  up,  there  was  a  scattering  of  Lane's  ruffians,  and 
the  leading  horseman  pulled  up  his  beast  just  outside 
the  door.  He  was  dripping  with  perspiration,  bespat- 
tered all  over,  and  his  horse  was  white  with  lather. 

"  Couldn't  get  through  earlier.  Jacques'  boys  are 
away,  but  we  sent  a  man  to  look  for  them,  and  he'll  bring 
them  along,"  he  said. 

We  were  very  glad  to  see  Rancher  Gordon  and  his 


180     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

sturdy  followers,  though  it  was  bad  news  he  brought. 
Further  reinforcements  could  hardly  arrive  in  time  to  be 
of  service,  and  where  we  had  expected  more  than  a 
dozen  we  must  be  content  with  three.  Meanwhile,  Lane's 
men  had  mounted  and  were  trotting  off  across  the 
prairie. 

"  They  have  probably  gone  in  search  of  the  loose 
stock.  Come  in.  We  have  got  to  talk  over  our  next 
step,"  I  said. 

The  newcomers  did  so,  and  we  were  all  glad  of  a 
breathing  space.  My  head  was  somewhat  badly  cut, 
several  purple  bruises  adorned  my  comrade's  counte- 
nance, and  the  rest  had  ridden  a  long  way  in  furious 
haste.  At  first  the  conference  was  conducted  in  half- 
breathless  gasps,  then  the  voices  deepened  into  a  sonor- 
ous ring,  and  I  can  recall  the  intent  bronzed  faces  turned 
towards  me,  the  thoughtful  pauses  when  each  speaker 
had  aired  his  views,  and  how  the  slanting  sunlight  beat 
into  the  partly  shadowed  room.  Last  of  all  Rancher 
Gordon  spoke :  "  We  are  waiting  to  hear  your  notions, 
Ormesby." 

"  The  stable  and  corral  must  be  held  at  any  cost,"  I 
said,  smearing  my  hands  as  I  tried  to  clear  my  eye, 
while  red  drops  splashed  from  them  on  to  the  table. 
"  While  that  ought  to  be  possible,  we  are  hardly  strong 
enough  to  force  a  fight  in  the  open  unless  it  is  necessary. 
Lane's  rascals  may  not  find  the  stock,  and  may  only  be 
trying  to  draw  us  off,  so  my  decision  is  to  remain  here. 
If  they  are  successful  we  can  see  them  from  the  roof,  and 
must  run  the  risk  of  taking  their  plunder  from  them. 
Should  we  fail  we  could  follow  them  when  our  friends 
turn  up." 

"  That's  about  my  notion.  We'll  see  you  through  with 
it,"  said  Gordon  quietly. 

We  had  waited  a  considerable  time  before  Steel  hailed 
us  from  the  roof  that  he  could  see  our  enemies  riding 
south  behind  a  bunch  of  cattle,  and  we  mounted  forth- 
with. There  were  now  three  rifles  among  us,  but  we 
had  agreed  these  were  not  to  be  used  unless  somebody 
fired  upon  us.  Riders  and  cattle  dipped  into  a  hollow, 


THE    DEFENSE    OF    CRANE    VALLEY    181 

and  we  had  covered  several  miles  before  we  sighted  them 
again.  Lane  and  the  representative  of  authority  no 
longer  accompanied  them.  The  whole  body  wheeled 
around  and  halted  when  we  came  up.  There  was  sweet 
grass  in  the  hollow,  so  the  cattle  halted  too,  and  for  a 
space  we  sat  silent,  looking  at  one  another.  I  dare  not 
risk  a  blunder  in  face  of  such  odds,  though  I  determined 
to  make  an  effort  to  recover  the  stock. 

"  You  make  us  tired,"  said  the  American,  whose  face 
was  partly  covered  by  a  dirty  rag.  "  Go  to  perdition, 
before  we  make  you !  " 

He  waved  his  arm  around  the  horizon,  as  though  to 
indicate  where  the  place  in  question  lay,  and  I  edged  my 
horse  a  little  nearer  to  him.  He  was  the  leading  spirit, 
and  it  seemed  possible  that  we  might  perhaps  disperse 
the  rest  if  I  could  dismount  him.  The  man  had  evidently 
recovered  from  Steel's  blow. 

"  We  are  not  going  away  without  the  cattle,  and  you 
can  see  there  are  more  of  us  now,  while  two  proved  too 
many  for  you  before,"  I  said,  still  decreasing  the  dis- 
tance between  us ;  but  my  adversary  perhaps  divined  my 
intention,  for  a  short  barrel  glinted  in  his  hand  when  he 
raised  it. 

"  It's  going  to  be  different  this  time.  Keep  back  while 
you're  safe/'  he  said. 

There  was  apparently  no  help  for  it,  and  I  was  not 
quite  certain  he  would  shoot,  so  balancing  the  long  fork, 
lance  fashion,  I  tightened  my  grip  on  the  bridle,  when 
Gordon  drove  his  horse  against  me  and  gripped  it  vio- 
lently. "  Hold  on ;  the  boys  are  coming !  "  he  said. 

Friends  and  foes  alike  had  been  too  intent  to  notice 
anything  beyond  each  other  during  the  past  few  minutes ; 
but  now  a  drumming  of  hoofs  rose  from  behind  the 
rise  which  shut  in  the  hollow.  Then  a  drawn-out  line  of 
mounted  men  came  flying  down  the  slope,  and  Steel 
flung  his  hat  up  with  a  triumphant  yell.  "  It's  the  Bona- 
venture  boys,"  he  said.  "  There's  Adams  and  Miss  Hal- 
dane  leading  them." 

The  American  looked  in  my  direction,  and  raised  his 
hand  in  ironical  salute.  "  I'm  sorry  to  miss  a  clinch  with 


182     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

you.  It  would  have  been  a  good  one,  but  I  can't  stay," 
he  said.  "  Get  on,  you  skulking  coyotes.  Unless  you're 
smart  in  lighting  out  those  cow  drivers  won't  leave  much 
of  you." 

His  subordinates  took  the  hint,  and  bolted  down  the 
hollow  as  hard  as  they  could  ride,  while  I  drew  a  deep 
breath  and  turned  towards  the  rescue  party. 


CHAPTER   XVII 
THE   RAISING   OF   THE   SIEGE 

THEY  were  splendid  horsemen  who  rode  to  our  assist- 
ance, and  their  beasts  as  fine ;  but  a  slight  figure  led  them 
a  clear  length  ahead.  In  another  minute  Gordon's  men 
copied  their  leader,  who  trotted  forward  with  his  broad 
hat  at  his  knee,  and  I  rode  bareheaded  with — though  I 
had  forgotten  this — an  ensanguined  face,  to  greet  the 
mistress  of  Bonaventure.  She  was  glowing  with  excite- 
ment, and  I  had  never  seen  anything  equal  the  fine 
damask  in  her  cheeks.  She  started  at  the  sight  of  me, 
and  then  impulsively  held  out  a  well-gloved  hand. 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  badly  hurt  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Only  cut  a  trifle,"  I  answered,  gripping  the  little 
hand  fervently.  "  You  have  done  a  great  deal  for  us, 
and  no  doubt  prevented  serious  bloodshed.  It  was 
wonderfully " 

"  Don't.  It  was  not  in  any  way  wonderful.  My 
father  was  absent  when  Mr.  Boone  brought  me  the 
news,  and,  as  you  know,  I  am  responsible  for  the  pros- 
perity of  Bonaventure  in  his  absence.  Our  cattle  were 
in  jeopardy." 

She  ceased  abruptly,  and  grew  pale,  while  I  felt 
ashamed  when  I  saw  the  cause  of  it.  My  hands  had 
been  reddened  from  clearing  my  eyes,  and  glove  and 
wrist  were  foul  with  crimson  stains.  Courageous  as 
she  was,  the  girl  had  sickened  at  the  sight  of  them. 

"  I  can't  excuse  myself.  You  must  try  to  forgive 
me,"  I  said.  "  Please  don't  look  at  it." 

Lucille  Haldane  promptly  recovered  from  the  shock 
of  repulsion.  "  How  could  you  help  it — and  you  were 
hurt  protecting  our  cattle.  I  can  see  the  brand  on  some," 
she  said.  "  It  was  very  foolish  of  me  to  show  such 
weakness." 

183 


184     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  You  must  come  back  to  the  house  with  me  at  once 
and  rest,"  I  said.  "  I'm  indebted  to  you,  boys,  but  the 
best  way  you  could  help  me  would  be  to  drive  those  cattle 
into  the  corral.  Then,  for  you  are  probably  tired  and 
hungry,  come  up  and  see  what  Sally  Steel  can  find  for 
you." 

The  newcomers  hesitated,  and  inquired  whether  they 
might  not  pursue  and  chastise  our  adversaries  instead, 
but  Lucille  Haldane  rebuked  them.  "  You  will  do  just 
what  Rancher  Ormesby  tells  you,"  she  said ;  and,  turn- 
ing towards  me,  added :  "  I  am  ready  to  go  with  you." 

Lucille  was  still  a  trifle  pale,  and  wondering,  because 
I  could  not  see  myself,  that  one  with  so  much  spirit 
should  be  affected  by  such  a  small  thing,  I  presently  dis- 
mounted and  led  her  horse  by  the  bridle.  I  had  torn  off 
the  offending  glove,  and  when  we  halted  by  the  corral 
would  have  removed  the  stains  from  the  wrist  with  a 
handkerchief. 

"  No,"  said  Lucile,  snatching  here  hand  away  just  too 
late,  with  a  gesture  of  dismay,  "  do  not  touch  it  with  that, 
please." 

Then  I  remembered  that  the  handkerchief  had  last 
been  used  to  rub  out  the  fouled  breach  of  a  gun.  The 
girl  looked  at  the  blur  of  red  and  black  which  resulted 
from  my  efforts,  and  frowned,  then  broke  out  into  a 
rippling  laugh.  "  Beatrice  said  your  ways  were  refresh- 
ingly primitive,  and  I  think  she  was  right,"  she  said. 

The  laugh  put  heart  into  me,  but  I  still  held  the 
bridle  with  an  ensanguined  hand  close  beside  the  little 
smeared  one;  and  so,  followed  by  as  fine  an  escort  as  a 
princess  could  desire,  we  came  to  my  door  side  by  side. 

However,  when  I  helped  Lucille  Haldane  from  the 
saddle  I  had  misgivings  concerning  the  reception  Steel's 
sister  might  accord  her.  Sally's  loyalty  to  her  friends 
was  worthy  of  her  name;  but  she  was  stanchly  demo- 
cratic, more  than  a  little  jealous,  and  not  addicted  to 
concealing  her  prejudices.  The  fears  were  groundless. 
Sally  was  waiting  in  the  doorway  she  had  defended,  and 
while  I  hoped  for  the  best,  the  two  stood  a  moment  face 
to  face.  They  were  both  worthy  of  inspection,  though 


THE    RAISING    OF    THE    SIEGE        185 

the  contrast  between  them  was  marked.  Haldane's 
daughter  was  slight  and  slender,  with  grace  and  refine- 
ment stamped  equally  on  every  line  of  her  delicately 
chiseled  face  and  on  the  curve  of  her  dainty  figure 
down  to  the  little  feet  beneath  the  riding  skirt.  Sally 
was  round  and  ruddy  of  countenance,  stalwart  in  frame, 
with  the  carriage  of  an  Amazon,  and,  I  think,  could 
have  crushed  Lucille  with  a  grip  of  her  arms ;  but  both 
had  an  ample  portion  of  the  spirit  of  their  race. 

Then  Steel's  sister,  stepping  forward,  took  both  the 
girl's  hands  within  her  own,  stooped  a  little,  and  kissed 
her  on  each  cheek,  after  which  she  drew  her  into  the 
house,  leaving  her  brother  and  myself  equally  astonished. 
He  looked  at  me  whimsically,  and  though  I  tried,  I  could 
not  frown. 

'  That's  about  the  last  thing  I  expected.  How  does 
it  strike  you  ?  "  he  said.  "  Afraid  of  committing  your- 
self ?  Well,  I  don't  mind  allowing  I  expected  most  any- 
thing else.  All  women  are  curious,  but  there's  no 
understanding  Sally." 

We  were  not  left  long  to  wonder,  for  Miss  Steel 
reappeared  in  the  doorway. 

"  You  two  still  standing  there  as  if  there  were  nothing 
to  do!  Get  a  big  fire  on  in  the  outside  stove  and  kill 
about  half  the  chickens.  You're  not  to  come  in,  Harry 
Ormesby,  until  I've  fixed  you  so  you're  fit  to  be  seen." 

I  feared  that  Lucille  heard  her,  and  wondered  what 
she  thought.  Qur  mode  of  life  was  widely  different 
from  that  at  Bonaventure  and  from  what  would  have 
been  for  me  possible  had  I  not  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
Lane. 

We  slew  the  chickens  with  the  assistance  of  the  new- 
comers, and  sat  down  on  the  grass  to  pluck  them,  a 
fowl  for  every  guest,  although  I  was  slightly  uncertain 
whether  that  would  be  sufficient.  There  is  a  similarity 
between  the  very  old  and  the  very  new,  and  ancient 
poets  perhaps  best  portray  the  primitive,  sometimes 
heroic,  life  of  effort  the  modern  stockrider  and  plowman 
lead  on  the  prairie. 

"  Why   did   you  bring   Miss   Haldane,   Boone  ?     You 


186     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

should  have  known  better  than  to  allow  her  to  run  the 
slightest  risk,"  I  said,  on  opportunity;  and  the  photog- 
rapher smiled  enigmatically. 

"  Miss  Haldane  did  not  ask  my  permission,  and  I  am 
doubtful  whether  anybody  could  have  prevented  her. 
She  said  she  was  mistress  of  Bonaventure,  and  the  way 
the  men  stirred  when  she  told  them  was  proof  enough 
that  one  could  believe  her." 

Presently  Sally  came  out  with  a  roll  of  sticking- 
plaster,  and,  while  every  bachelor  present  offered  assist- 
ance and  advice,  she  proceeded  to  "  fix  me,"  as  she  ex- 
pressed it.  Then,  amid  a  burst  of  laughter,  she  stood 
back  a  little  to  survey  her  work  with  pride. 

"  I  guess  you  can  come  in.  You  look  too  nice  for 
anything.  Gordon  and  Adams,  you'll  walk  in,  too.  The 
rest  will  find  all  you  want  in  the  cook  shed,  and  it  will 
be  your  own  fault  if  you  don't  help  yourselves." 

I  was  a  little  astonished  when,  with  a  cloth  bound 
round  my  head,  I  entered  the  house,  for  Miss  Steel  was 
in  some  respects  a  genius.  There  was  no  trace  of  dis- 
order. Sally  was  immaculately  neat;  Lucille  Haldane 
might  never  have  passed  the  door  of  Bonaventure;  and 
the  two  had  apparently  become  good  friends,  while  a 
table  had  been  set  out  with  Sally's  pretty  crockery,  and, 
as  I  noticed,  an  absolutely  spotless  cloth,  which  was 
something  of  a  rarity.  I  was  glad  of  the  presence  of 
Boone,  for  Gordon  was  a  big,  gaunt,  silent  man,  and  the 
events  of  the  day  had  driven  any  conversational  gifts  we 
possessed  out  of  both  Steel  and  myself.  When  it  pleased 
him,  Adarns,  by  which  name  alone  he  was  known  to  the 
rest,  could  entertain  anybody,  and  that,  too,  in  their 
own  particular  idiom.  There  was  no  trace  of  the  pedlar 
about  him  now,  and  his  English  was  the  best  spoken 
in  the  Old  Country.  I  noticed  Lucille  Haldane  looked 
hard  at  him  when  she  took  her  place  at  the  table. 

"  It  is  curious,  but  I  have  been  haunted  by  a  feeling 
that  we  have  met  before  to-day,"  she  said.  "  If  I  am 
mistaken,  it  must  have  been  somebody  who  strongly 
resembles  you." 

For  just  a  moment  Boone  looked  uneasy,  but  he  an- 


THE    RAISING    OF    THE    SIEGE        187 

swered  with  a  smile :  "  I  don't  monopolize  all  the  good 
looks  on  the  prairie." 

The  girl  flashed  a  swift  sidelong  glance  at  me,  and  I 
feared  my  countenance  was  too  wooden  to  be  natural. 
"  I  am  sure  of  the  resemblance  now,  though  there  is  a 
change.  It  was  one  evening  at  Bonaventure,  was  it 
not?  "  she  said.  "  Have  you  forgotten  me?  " 

;<  That  would  be  impossible,"  and  Boone  bent  his  head 
a  little  as  he  made  the  best  of  it.  "  I  see  that,  if  neces- 
sary, I  could  rely  on  Miss  Haldane's  kindness  a  second 
time." 

Lucille  looked  thoughtful,  Sally  inquisitive,  and  I 
feared  the  latter  might  complicate  circumstances  by  at- 
tempting to  probe  the  mystery.  Neither  Gordon  nor 
Steel  noticed  anything,  but  Boone  was  a  judge  of  char- 
acter and  Lucille  keen  of  wit.  He  asked  nothing  further, 
but  I  saw  a  question  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  think  you  could  do  so,"  she  said.  "  You  seem  to 
have  trusty  friends,  Rancher  Ormesby;  though  that  is 
not  surprising  on  the  prairie." 

The  words  were  simply  spoken,  and  wholly  unstudied ; 
but  Lucille  Haldane  had  a  very  graceful  way,  and  there 
was  that  in  her  eyes  which  brought  a  sparkle  into  those 
of  Sally,  and  I  saw  had  made  the  silent  Gordon  her  slave. 
Her  gift  of  fascination  was  part  of  her  birthright,  and 
she  used  it  naturally  without  taint  of  artifice. 

"  Could  anybody  doubt  it  after  to-day  ?  "  I  said. 

Then  Boone  smiled  dryly.  "  I  suppose  it  devolves 
upon  me  to  acknowledge  the  compliment,  and  I  am 
afraid  that  some  of  his  friends  are  better  than  he  de- 
serves," he  said.  "  At  least,  I  am  willing  to  testify  that 
Rancher  Ormesby  does  not  importune  them,  for  I  never 
met  any  man  slower  to  accept  either  good  advice  or 
well-meant  assistance.  Have  you  not  found  it  so,  Miss 
Steel?" 

"  All  you  men  are  foolish,  and  most  of  you  slow," 
Sally  answered  archly.  "  I  had  to  convince  one  with 
a  big  hard  brush  to-day." 

This  commenced  the  relation  of  reminiscences,  mostly 
humorous,  of  the  affray,  for  we  could  afford  to  laugh, 


188     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and  all  joined  in  the  burst  of  merriment  which  rose  from 
outside  when  several  horsemen  came  up  at  a  gallop  across 
the  prairie.  A  stockrider  of  Caledonian  extraction  had 
borrowed  my  banjo  to  amuse  his  comrades,  and  they 
appreciated  his  irony  when  he  played  the  new  arrivals 
in  to  the  tune  of  "  The  Campbells  are  coming." 

Then  he  took  off  his  hat  to  the  uniformed  figure  which 
led  the  advance.  "  Ye're  surely  lang  in  comin',  Sergeant, 
dear,"  he  said. 

There  was  another  roar  of  laughter,  and  I  heard 
Mackay's  voice.  "  It  was  no'  my  fault,  and  ye  should 
ken  what  kind  of  horses  ye  sell  the  Government ;  but 
now  I'm  here  I'm  tempted  to  arrest  the  whole  of  ye  for 
unlawful  rioting !  " 

He  halted  in  the  doorway  with  displeasure  in  his  face, 
and,  disregarding  my  invitation,  waited  until  Miss  Hal- 
dane  bade  him  be  seated,  while  before  commencing  an 
attack  upon  a  fowl,  he  said  dryly :  "  Maybe  I  had  better 
begin  my  business  first.  It  would  be  a  poor  return  to 
eat  your  supper  and  than  arrest  ye,  Ormesby." 

11  You  had  better  make  sure  of  the  supper,  and  if 
you  can  take  me  out  of  the  hands  of  my  allies  you  are 
welcome  to,"  I  said. 

Boone's  lips  twitched  once  or  twice  as  though  in  enjoy- 
ment of  a  hidden  joke  as  he  discoursed  with  the  sergeant 
upon  the  handling  of  mounted  men  and  horses.  He 
showed,  I  fancied,  a  curious  knowledge  of  cavalry  equip- 
ment and  maneuvers,  and  Mackay  was  evidently  struck 
With  his  opinions.  I  also  saw  Lucille  Haldane  smile 
when  the  sergeant  said :  "  If  ever  ye  pass  my  station  come 
in  and  see  me.  It's  a  matter  o'  regret  to  me  I  had  not 
already  met  ye." 

"  Thanks,"  said  Boone,  just  moving  his  eyebrows  as 
he  looked  across  at  me.  "  I  narrowly  missed  spending 
some  time  in  your  company  a  little  while  ago." 

"  And  now  to  business,"  said  Mackay,  with  a  last  re- 
gretful glance  at  the  skeletonized  chicken.  "  From  what 
I  gather  ye  are  all  of  ye  implicated.  I  would  like  an 
account  from  Mr.  Adams  and  Miss  Haldane  first." 

"  How  did  you  come  here  instead  of  Gardiner ;  and 


THE    RAISING    OF    THE    SIEGE        189 

how  do  you  know  there  is  anything  for  you  to  trouble 
about?"  I  asked,  and  the  sergeant  showed  a  trace  of 
impatience. 

"  Gardiner  goes  back  to-morrow.  Ye  are  my  own 
particular  sheep,  and  it  would  take  a  new  man  ten  years 
to  learn  the  contrariness  of  ye.  I  heard  some  talk  at 
the  railroad  and  came  on  in  a  hurry.  Do  ye  usually  nail 
up  your  stable  or  cut  your  own  head  open,  Rancher 
Ormesby?" 

Each  in  turn  furnished  an  account  of  the  affray,  I 
last  of  all ;  and  Mackay  expressed  no  opinion  until  Lucille 
Haldane  asked  him :  "  Was  it  not  justifiable  for  me  to 
take  measures  to  protect  my  father's  cattle  ?  " 

"  Supposing  the  Bonaventure  brand  had  not  been  on 
that  draft,  and  Lane's  men  retained  possession,  what 
would  ye  have  done?"  was  the  shrewd  rejoinder;  and 
Lucille  smiled  as  she  looked  steadily  at  the  speaker. 

"  I  really  think,  sergeant,  that  I  should  have  ridden 
over  them." 

Mackay  seemed  to  struggle  with  some  natural  feeling; 
but  the  silent  rancher  smote  the  table.  "  By  the  Lord, 
you  would,  and  I'd  have  given  five  hundred  dollars  to 
go  through  beside  you !  "  he  said. 

"  Ye  are  quite  old  enough  to  ken  better,"  said  Mackay 
sententiously ;  and  the  rancher  squared  his  shoulders  as 
he  answered: 

"  I'm  as  good  as  any  two  of  your  troopers  yet,  and 
was  never  run  into  a  cattle  corral.  When  I'm  old  enough 
to  be  useless  I'll  join  the  police." 

"  What  were  ye  meaning?  "  asked  the  sergeant. 

Gordon  laughed.  "  Just  that,  for  a  tired  man,  it's  a 
nice  soft  berth.  You  take  your  money  and  as  much 
care  as  you  can  that  you  never  turn  up  until  the  trouble's 
over !  " 

Before  Mackay  could  retort,  Lucille,  smiling,  raised 
her  hand.  "  I  think  you  should  both  know  better,  and  I 
want  you  to  tell  me,  sergeant,  what  will  be  the  end  of 
this.  Surely  nobody  has  any  right  to  drive  off  cattle 
and  horses  that  don't  belong  to  him  ?  " 

Mackay   looked   somewhat   troubled,   and   one   could 


190     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

guess  that  while  eager  to  please  the  fair  questioner,  he 
shrank  with  official  caution  from  committing  himself. 
"  It's  not  my  part  to  express  an  opinion  on  points  that 
puzzle  some  lawyers,"  he  said.  "  Still,  I  might  tell  ye 
that  it  will  cost  one  man  his  position.  Human  nature's 
aye  deceitful,  Miss  Haldane,  and  if  Rancher  Ormesby 
prosecuted  them  it  would  be  just  two  or  three  men's 
word  against  a  dozen.  Forby,  they  might  make  out 
illegal  resistance  against  him !  " 

"  Sergeant,"  said  Lucille  Haldane,  looking  at  him 
severely,  "  dare  you  tell  me  that  you  would  not  take 
the  word  of  three  ranchers  against  the  oath  of  a  dozen 
such  men  as  Lane  ?  " 

Mackay  smiled,  though  he  answered  dryly :  "  They're 
both  hard  to  manage,  and  ungrateful  for  their  benefits ; 
but  maybe  I  would.  Still,  I  am,  ye  see,  neither  judge 
nor  jury.  Would  ye  prefer  a  charge  against  them, 
Ormesby?" 

I  was  willing  enough  to  do  so,  but  had  already  re- 
flected. Every  moment  of  my  time  was  needed,  the 
nearest  seat  of  justice  was  far  away,  and  it  would  be 
only  helping  Lane  if  I  wasted  days  attempting  to  sub- 
stantiate a  charge.  I  also  surmised  by  his  prompt 
disappearance  when  the  fracas  became  serious  that  it 
would  be  very  difficult  to  implicate  my  enemy,  even  if 
he  did  not  turn  the  tables  on  me.  Boone,  when  I  looked 
at  him,  made  a  just  perceptible  negative  movement  with 
his  head. 

"  I  must  leave  this  affair  to  the  discretion  of  the  police," 
I  said.  "  Several  of  Lane's  friends  have  good  cause  to 
be  sorry  for  themselves  already,  and  it  is  hardly  likely 
his  action  will  be  repeated." 

Mackay  said  nothing  further,  and  shortly  afterwards 
Lucille  said  she  must  take  her  departure.  Sally  stood 
smiling  in  the  doorway  while  the  riders  of  Bonaventure 
did  her  homage,  and  those  whose  compliments  did  not 
please  her  suffered  for  their  clumsiness.  When  I  rode 
out  with  Lucille  Haldane  there  was  a  lifting  of  wide  hats, 
and  the  sergeant,  sitting  upright  in  his  saddle,  saluted 


THE    RAISING    OF    THE    SIEGE        191 

her  as  we  passed  with  several  splendid  horsemen  riding 
on  on  each  side. 

I  afterwards  heard  that  Sally  said  to  him  mischiev- 
ously :  "  I  guess  you  men  don't  quite  know  everything. 
How  long  did  it  take  you  to  break  your  troopers  in? 
Yonder's  a  slip  of  a  girl  who  knows  nothing  of  dis- 
cipline or  drill,  and  there's  not  a  man  in  all  that  outfit 
wouldn't  ride  right  into  the  place  where  bad  policemen 
go  if  she  told  him  to.  As  good  as  your  troopers,  aren't 
they  ?  What  are  you  thinking  now  ?  " 

The  sergeant  followed  her  pointing  hand,  and,  as  it 
happened,  Lucille  and  I  were  just  passing  beyond  the 
rise  riding  close  together  side  by  side.  Mackay  looked 
steadily  after  us,  and  doubtless  noticed  that  Lucille  rode 
very  well.  "  I  would  not  blame  them.  I'm  just  think- 
ing I'm  sorry  for  Corporal  Cotton,"  he  said. 

Sally  looked  away  across  the  prairie,  and,  turning,  saw 
a  faint  smile  fade  out  of  the  sergeant's  face.  "  What 
do  you  mean?  Can't  you  ever  talk  straight  like  a 
sensible  man  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  The  corporal's  young,  an'  needs  considerable  con- 
vincing," was  the  dry  answer. 

When  we  dipped  beyond  the  rise  I  turned  to  Lucille 
Haldane.  "  What  did  you  think  of  Sally  ?  She  is  a 
stanch  ally,  but  not  always  effusive  to  strangers,"  I  said. 

I  could  not  at  the  moment  understand  Lucille  Hal- 
dane's  expression.  The  question  was  very  simple,  but 
the  girl  showed  a  trace  of  confusion,  and  was  apparently 
troubled  as  to  how  she  should  frame  the  answer.  This 
did  not,  however,  last  long,  and  when  she  raised  her 
eyes  to  mine  there  was  in  them  the  same  look  of  con- 
fidence there  had  been  when  she  said,  "  I  believe  in 
you."  It  was  very  pleasant  to  see. 

"  I  think  a  great  deal  of  her,  and  must  repeat  what 
I  said  already.  You  have  very  loyal  friends.  Miss 
Steel  told  me  at  length  how  kind  you  had  been  to  her 
and  her  brother,  and  I  think  they  will  fully  repay  you." 

My  wits  must  have  been  sharpened,  for  I  understood, 
and  blessed  both  Sally  and  the  speaker.  If  Lucille  Hal- 


192     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

dane,  being  slow  to  think  evil,  had  faith  in  those  she 
knew,  it  was  possible  she  was  glad  of  proof  to  justify  the 
confidence,  and  Sally  must  have  furnished  it. 

"  They  have  done  so  already,"  I  said. 

There  was  always  something  very  winning  about  my 
companion,  but  she  had  never  appeared  so  desirable  as 
she  did  just  then.  The  day  was  drawing  towards  its 
close,  and  the  light  in  the  west  called  up  the  warm 
coloring  that  the  wind  and  sun  had  brought  into  her  face 
and  showed  each  grace  of  the  slight  figure  silhouetted 
against  it.  The  former  was,  perhaps,  not  striking  at 
first  sight,  though,  with  its  setting  of  ruddy  gold,  and  its 
hazel  eyes  filled  with  swift  changes,  it  was  pretty  enough ; 
but  its  charm  grew  upon  one,  and  I  noticed  that  when  she 
patted  the  horse's  neck  the  dumb  beast  moved  as  though 
it  loved  her.  There  was  nothing  of  the  Amazon  about 
its  rider  except  her  courage. 

"  I  have  heard  a  good  deal  about  your  enemy  and 
yourself  of  late,  but  there  are  several  points  that  puzzle 
me,  and,  though  I  know  you  have  his  sympathies,  father 
is  not  communicative,"  she  said.  "  For  instance,  if  you 
do  not  resent  the  allusion,  he  could  with  so  little  trouble 
have  made  a  difference  in  the  result  of  your  sale." 

"  How  could  that  be  ?  "  I  asked,  merely  to  see  how 
far  the  speaker's  interest  in  my  affairs  had  carried  her, 
and  she  answered :  "  Even  if  there  had  been  nothing  we 
needed  at  Bonaventure  he  could  have  made  the  others 
pay  fair  prices  for  all  they  bought.  I  cannot  understand 
why  he  said  it  was  better  not  to  do  so." 

I  also  failed  to  understand ;  but  a  light  broke  in  upon 
me.  "  Did  you  suggest  that  he  should  ?  "  I  asked,  and 
the  girl  answered  with  some  reluctance :  "  Yes ;  was  it 
not  natural  that  I  should  ?  " 

"  No  one  who  knew  you  could  doubt  it,"  I  said ;  and 
Lucille  Haldane  presently  dismissed  me.  I  sat  still  and 
watched  her  and  her  escort  diminish  across  the  long 
levels,  and  then  rode  slowly  back  towards  Crane  Valley. 
Remembering  Haldane's  mention  of  a  promise,  the  news 
that  it  was  his  younger  daughter  who  sent  him  to  my 
assistance  brought  at  first  a  shock  of  disappointment.  I 


THE    RAISING    OF    THE    SIEGE        193 

had  already  convinced  myself  that  Beatrice  Haldane  must 
remain  very  far  beyond  my  reach,  but  the  thought  that 
she  had  remembered  me  and  sent  what  help  she  could 
had  been  comforting,  nevertheless.  Now  it  seemed  that 
she  had  forgotten,  and  that  that  consolation  must  be 
abandoned,  too.  And  yet  the  disappointment  was  not  so 
crushing  but  that  I  could  bear  it  with  the  rest.  What 
might  have  been  had  passed  beyond  the  limits  of  possi- 
bility, and  there  was  nothing  in  the  future  to  look  forward 
to  except  a  struggle  against  poverty  and  the  wiles  of  my 
enemy. 

Steel  took  my  horse  when  I  rode  up  to  the  house,  and 
it  was  a  coincidence  that  his  first  remark  should  be: 
"  We  beat  him  badly  this  time  and  he'll  lie  low  a  while. 
Then  I  guess  you'll  want  both  eyes  open  when  he  tries 
his  luck  again." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 
THE  VIGIL-KEEPER 

IT  was  a  clear  starlit  night  when  I  rode  across  a  tract 
of  the  Assiniboian  prairie,  some  two  hundred  miles  east 
of  Crane  Valley.  A  half-moon  hung  in  the  cloudless 
ether,  and  the  endless  levels,  lying  very  silent  under  its 
pale  radiance,  seemed  to  roll  away  into  infinity.  They 
had  no  boundary,  for  the  blueness  above  them  melted 
imperceptibly  through  neutral  gradations  into  the  earth 
below,  which,  gathering  strength  of  tone,  stretched  back 
again  to  the  center  of  the  lower  circle  a  vast  sweep  of 
silvery  gray. 

There  was  absolute  stillness,  not  even  a  grass  blade 
moved;  but  the  air  was  filled  with  the  presage  of  sum- 
mer, and  the  softness  of  the  carpet,  which  returned  no 
sound  beneath  the  horse's  feet,  had  its  significance.  That 
sod  had  been  bleached  by  wind-packed  snow  and  bound 
into  iron  hardness  by  months  of  arctic  frost.  Bird  and 
beast  had  left  it,  and  the  waste  had  lain  empty  under  the 
coldness  of  death ;  but  life  had  once  more  conquered,  and 
the  earth  was  green  again.  Even  among  the  almost  un- 
lettered born  upon  it  there  are  few  men  impervious  to 
the  influence  of  the  prairie  on  such  a  night;  and  in  days 
not  long  gone  by  the  half-breed  voyageurs  told  strange 
stories  of  visions  seen  on  it  during  the  lonely  journeys 
they  made  for  the  great  fur-trading  company.  Its  vast- 
ness  and  its  emptiness  impresses  the  human  atom  who 
becomes  conscious  of  an  indefinite  awe  or  is  uplifted 
by  an  exaltation  which  vanishes  with  the  dawn,  for  there 
are  times  when,  through  the  silence  of  measureless  spaces, 
man's  spirit  rises  into  partial  touch  with  the  greater 
things  unseen. 

My  errand  was  prosaic  enough — merely  to  buy  cattle 
for  Haldane  and  others  on  a  sliding-scale  arrangement. 

194 


THE    VIGIL-KEEPER  195 

I  could  see  a  possibility  of  some  small  financial  benefit, 
and  that  being  so  had  reluctantly  left  Crane  Valley,  where 
I  was  badly  needed,  because  the  need  of  money  was  even 
greater.  Also,  as  time  was  precious,  I  had  decided  to 
travel  all  night  instead  of  spending  it  as  a  guest  of  the 
last  farmer  with  whom  I  bargained.  I  was  at  that  time 
neither  very  imaginative  nor  oversentimental ;  but  the 
spell  of  the  prairie  was  stronger  than  my  will,  and,  yield- 
ing to  it,  I  rode  dreamily,  so  it  seemed,  beyond  the  reach 
of  petty  troubles  and  the  clamor  of  our  sordid  strife  into 
a  shadowy  land  of  peace  which,  defying  the  centuries, 
had  retained  unchanged  its  solemn  stillness.  The  stars 
alone  sufficed  to  call  up  the  fancy,  for  there  being  neither 
visible  heavens  nor  palpable  atmosphere,  only  a  blue 
transparency,  the  eye  could  follow  the  twinkling  points 
of  flame  far  backwards  from  one  to  another  through  the 
unknown  spaces  beyond  our  little  globe.  Nothing 
seemed  impossible  on  such  a  night,  and  only  the  touch 
of  the  bridle  and  the  faint  jingle  of  metal  material. 

It  was  in  this  mood  that  I  became  conscious  of  a 
shadow  object  near  the  foot  of  a  rise.  It  did  not  seem 
a  natural  portion  of  the  prairie,  and  when  I  had  covered 
some  distance  it  resolved  itself  into  a  horse  and  a  dis- 
mounted man.  His  broad  hat  hung  low  in  his  hand, 
his  head  was  bent,  and  he  stood  so  intent  that  I  had 
almost  ridden  up  to  him  before  he  turned  and  noticed 
me.  Then,  as  I  checked  my  horse,  I  saw  that  it  was 
Boone. 

"  What  has  brought  you  here  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  That  I  cannot  exactly  tell  you  when  we  know  so 
little  of  the  influences  about  us  on  such  a  night  as  this. 
It  is  at  least  one  stage  of  a  pilgrimage  I  must  make/'  he 
said. 

Had  this  answer  been  given  me  in  the  sunlight  I 
should  have  doubted  the  speaker's  mental  balance,  but 
one  sets  up  a  new  standard  of  sanity  on  the  starlit  prairie 
on  a  night  of  spring,  and  I  saw  only  that  the  spell  was 
also  upon  him.  He  held  a  great  bunch  of  lilies  (which 
do  not  grow  on  the  bare  Western  levels)  in  one  hand, 
and  his  face  was  changed.  Even  in  Boone's  reckless 


196     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

humor  there  had  been  a  sardonic  vein  which  sometimes 
added  a  sting  to  the  jest,  and  I  knew  what  the  shadow 
was  that  accounted  for  his  fits  of  silent  grimness.  Now 
he  seemed  strangely  calm,  but  rather  reverent  than 
sad. 

"  I  cannot  understand  you,"  I  said. 

"  No  ?  "  he  answered  quietly.  "  How  soon  you  have 
forgotten;  but  you  helped  me  once.  Come,  and  I  will 
show  you." 

He  tethered  his  horse  to  an  iron  peg,  beckoned  me  to 
do  the  same,  and  then,  moving  forward  until  we  stood 
on  the  highest  of  the  rise,  pointed  to  something  that  rose 
darkly  from  the  grass.  Then  I  remembered,  and  swung 
my  hat  to  my  knee,  as  my  eyes  rested  on  a  little  wooden 
cross.  Following  the  hand  he  stretched  out,  I  could  read 
the  rude  letters  cut  on  it — "  Helen  Boone." 

He  stooped,  and,  I  fancied  with  some  surprise,  lifted 
a  glass  vessel  from  beneath  a  handful  of  withered  stalks. 
He  shook  them  out  gently,  laid  the  fresh  blossoms  in 
their  place,  and  a  faint  fragrance  rose  like  incense 
through  the  coolness  of  the  dew.  Then  he  turned,  and 
I  followed  him  to  where  we  had  left  the  horses.  "  There 
are  still  kind  souls  on  this  earth,  and  one  of  them  placed 
that  vessel  under  the  last  flowers  I  left.  You  have  a 
partial  answer  to  your  question  now." 

I  bent  my  head,  and  seeing  that  he  was  not  averse  to 
speech,  said  quietly :  "  You  come  here  sometimes  ?  It  is 
a  long  journey." 

"  Yes,"  was  the  answer ;  and  Boone's  voice  vibrated. 
"  She  who  sleeps  there  gave  up  a  life  of  luxury  for  me ; 
and  is  a  three-hundred-mile  journey  too  much  to  make, 
or  a  summer  night  too  long  to  watch  beside  her?  I  am 
drawn  here,  and  there  are  times  when  one  wonders  if  it 
is  possible  for  us  to  rise  into  partial  communion  with 
those  who  have  passed  into  the  darkness  before  us." 

"  It  is  all,"  I  answered  gravely,  "  a  mystery  to  me. 
Can  you  conceive  such  a  possibility  ?  " 

"  Not  in  any  tangible  shape  to  such  as  I,  but  this  at 
least  I  know.  In  spite  of  the  destruction  of  the  mortal 
clay,  when  I  can  see  my  way  no  further,  and  lose  courage 


THE    VIGIL-KEEPER  197 

in  my  task,  fresh  strength  comes  to  me  after  a  night 
spent  here." 

"Your  task?"  I  said.  "I  guessed  that  there  was  a 
motive  behind  your  wanderings." 

"  There  is  one,"  and  Boone's  voice  rose  to  its  natural 
level.  "  The  wagon  journeys  suit  it  well.  Had  Lane 
ruined  me  alone  I  should  have  tried  to  pay  my  forfeit 
for  inexperience  and  the  risk  I  took  gracefully;  but 
when  I  saw  the  woman,  who  had  lain  down  so  much  for 
me,  fading  day  by  day  that  he  might  add  to  his  power 
of  oppressing  others  the  money  which  would  have  saved 
her  life,  the  case  was  different.  The  last  part  he  played 
in  the  pitiful  drama  was  that  of  murderer,  and  the  loss 
he  inflicted  on  me  one  that  could  never  be  forgiven." 

"  And  you  are  waiting  revenge?"  I  asked. 

"  No."  Boone  looked  back  towards  the  crest  of  the 
rise.  "  At  first  I  did  so,  but  it  is  justice  that  prompts 
me  now.  I  have  a  full  share  of  human  passions,  and 
once  I  lay  in  wait  for  him  with  a  rifle — my  throat  parched 
and  a  fire  of  torment  in  my  heart ;  but  when  he  passed 
at  midnight  within  ten  paces  I  held  my  hand  and  let  him 
go.  Perhaps  it  was  because  I  could  not  take  the  life 
of  even  that  venomous  creature  in  cold  blood,  and 
feared  he  would  not  face  me.  Perhaps  another  will  was 
stronger  than  my  own,  for,  with  every  purpose  strained 
against  what  seemed  weakness,  it  was  borne  in  on  me 
that  I  could  not  force  him  to  stand  with  a  weapon,  and 
that  I  dare  not  kill  him  groveling.  Then  the  power  went, 
out  of  me,  and  I  let  him  go.  Yet  I  have  twice  lain  long 
hours  in  hot  sand  under  a  deadly  rifle  fire,  Ormesby. 
There  are  many  mysteries,  and  as  yet  it  is  very  little  that 
we  know." 

"But  you  are  following  him  still,  are  you  not?"  I 
asked.  And  Boone  continued :  "  As  I  said,  it  is  for  jus- 
tice, and  it  was  here  I  learned  the  difference.  I  would 
not  take  the  reptile's  life  unless  he  met  me  armed  in  the 
daylight,  which  he  would  never  do ;  but  for  the  sake  of 
others — you  and  the  rest,  whose  toil  and  blood  he  fattens 
on — I  am  waiting  and  working  for  the  time  when,  with- 
out a  crime,  it  may  be  possible  to  end  his  career  of  evil." 


198     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

We  were  both  silent  for  a  few  minutes,  and  I  felt  that 
Boone's  task,  self-imposed  or  otherwise,  was  a  worthy 
one.  Lane  was  a  man  without  either  anger  or  com- 
passion— an  incarnation  of  cunning  and  avarice  more 
terrible  to  human  welfare  than  any  legendary  monster  of 
the  olden  time.  It  was  no  figure  of  speech  to  declare  that 
he  fattened  on  poor  men's  blood  and  agony,  and  his  over- 
throw could  not  be  anything  but  a  blessing.  Still,  it  was 
in  prosaic  speech  that,  considering  the  practical  aspect  of 
the  question,  I  said :  "  I  wish  you  luck,  but  you  will  need 
a  long  patience,  besides  time  and  money." 

"  I  have  them,"  was  the  answer.  "  The  first  was  the 
hardest  to  acquire.  Time — I  could  wait  ages  if  I  knew 
the  end  was  certain;  and,  as  to  money,  when  it  came 
too  late  to  save  her,  someone  died  in  the  old  country, 
and  part  of  the  property  fell  to  me.  Well,  you  can  guess 
my  purpose — using  all  means  short  of  bloodshed  and  per- 
jury to  take  him  in  his  own  net.  She  who  sleeps  there 
was  pitiful  and  gentle,  but  she  hated  oppression  and 
cruelty,  and  I  feel  that  if  she  knows — and  I  think  it  is 
so — she  would  smile  on  me." 

Boone's  face  was  plain  before  me  under  the  moon. 
It  was  quietly  confident,  calm,  and  yet  stamped  with  a 
solemn  purpose.  He  had,  it  seemed,  mastered  his  pas- 
sions, and  would  perhaps  be  the  more  dangerous  because 
he  followed  tirelessly,  with  brain  unclouded  by  hatred  or 
impatience.  I  felt  that  there  was  much  I  should  say  in 
the  shape  of  encouragement  and  sympathy,  but  the  only 
words  that  rose  to  my  lips  were :  "  He  has  fiendish 
cunning." 

"  And  I  was  once  a  careless  fool !  "  said  Boone.  "  Still, 
the  most  cunning  forget,  and  blunder  at  times.  I,  how- 
ever, can  never  forget,  and  when  he  does,  it  will  be  ill 
for  Lane.  I  have — I  don't  know  why — spoken  to  you, 
Ormesby,  as  I  have  spoken  to  no  man  in  the  Dominion 
before,  and  I  feel  I  need  ask  no  promise  of  you.  I 
am  going  east  with  the  sunrise,  but  I  must  be  alone 
now." 

I  left  him  to  keep  his  vigil  with  his  dead,  and  camped 
in  a  hollow  some  distance  away.  That  is  to  say,  I 


THE    VIGIL-KEEPER  199 

tethered  the  horse,  rolled  a  thick  brown  blanket  round 
me,  and  used  the  saddle  for  a  pillow.  There  was  no 
hardship  in  this.  The  grasses,  if  a  trifle  damp,  were 
soft  and  springy,  the  night  still  and  warm;  and  many  a 
better  man  has  slept  on  a  worse  bed  in  the  Western 
Dominion.  Slumber  did  not,  however,  come  at  first,  and 
I  lay  watching  the  stars,  neither  asleep  nor  wholly  awake, 
until  they  grew  indistinct,  and  a  woman's  figure,  im- 
palpable as  the  moonlight,  gathered  shape  upon  a  rise 
of  the  prairie. 

It  was  borne  in  on  me  that  this  was  Helen  Boone  risen 
from  her  sleep;  for  she  was  ethereal,  and  her  face  with 
its  passionless  calmness  not  that  of  a  mortal,  while  no 
shadow  touched  the  grasses  when  she  passed,  and,  fading, 
gave  place  or  changed  into  one  I  knew.  Haldane's  elder 
daughter  looked  down  at  me  from  the  rise,  but  she,  too, 
seemed  of  another  world,  wearing  a  cold  serenity  and 
a  beauty  that  was  not  of  this  earth.  She  also  changed 
with  a  marvelous  swiftness  before  my  bewildered  vision, 
and  it  was  now  Lucille  Haldane  who  moved  across  the 
prairie  with  soft  words  of  pity  on  her  lips  and  yet  anger 
in  her  eyes.  She,  at  least,  appeared  not  transcendental, 
but  a  living,  breathing  creature  of  flesh  and  blood  sub- 
ject to  human  weaknesses,  and  I  raised  myself  on  one 
elbow  to  speak  to  her. 

The  prairie  was  empty.  Nothing  moved  on  it ;  even 
the  horse  stood  still,  while,  when  I  sank  back  again, 
moonlight  and  starlight  went  out  together;  and  perhaps 
it  was  as  well,  for,  sleeping  or  waking,  a  plain  stock- 
raiser  has  no  business  with  such  fancies,  and  next  morn- 
ing I  convinced  myself  that  I  had  dreamed  it  all.  I  had 
doubtless  done  so,  and  the  explanation  was  simple.  The 
influence  of  the  night,  or  the  words  of  Boone,  had  gal- 
vanized into  abnormal  activity  some  tiny  convolution  of 
the  brain;  but,  even  that  once  granted,  it  formed  the 
beginning,  not  the  end,  of  the  question,  and  Boone  had, 
it  seemed,  supplied  the  best  solution  when  he  said  we 
know  so  little  as  yet. 

The  sun  was  lifting  above  the  prairie  when  I  set  out 
in  search  of  Boone  with  my  horse's  bridle  over  my  arm. 


200     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

I  met  him  swinging  across  the  springy  sod  in  long  elastic 
strides,  but  there  was  nothing  about  him  which  sug- 
gested one  preyed  upon  by  morbid  fancies  or  the  vision- 
ary. His  eyes  were  a  little  heavy,  but  that  was  all,  for 
with  both  of  us  the  dreams  of  the  night  had  melted  before 
the  rising  sun.  The  air  had  been  freshened  by  the  dew, 
and  the  breeze,  which  dried  the  grasses,  roused  one  to 
a  sense  of  human  necessities  and  the  knowledge  that  there 
was  a  day's  work  to  be  done.  I  was  also  conscious  of 
an  unfanciful  and  -very  prosaic  emptiness. 

"  I  wonder  where  we  could  get  anything  to  eat.  I 
have  a  long  ride  before  me,"  said  Boone,  when  he 
greeted  me. 

"  It  can  hardly  be  safe  for  you  to  be  seen  anywhere 
in  this  neighborhood,"  I  said ;  and  Boone  smiled. 

"  I  walked  openly  into  the  railroad  depot  and  asked 
for  a  package  yesterday.  You  forget  that  I  partly 
changed  my  appearance,  while,  so  far  as  memory 
serves,  only  two  police  troopers  occasionally  saw  me. 
The  others? — you  should  know  your  own  kind  better, 
Ormesby.  Do  you  think  any  settler  in  this  region  would 
take  money — and  Lane  offered  a  round  sum — for  be- 
traying me  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered  with  a  certain  pride ;  "  that  is  to 
say,  not  unless  he  were  a  nominee  of  the  man  you 
name." 

No  proof  of  this  was  needed,  but  one  was  supplied 
us.  A  man  who  presently  strode  out  of  a  hollow  stopped 
and  stared  at  Boone.  He  was,  to  judge  from  his  ap- 
pearance, one  of  the  stolid  bushmen  who  come  out  West 
from  the  forests  of  Northern  Ontario — tireless  men  with 
ax  and  plow,  but  with  little  knowledge  of  anything 
else. 

"  I'm  kind  of  good  at  remembering  faces,  and  I've 
seen  you  before,"  he  said.  "  You  are  the  man  who  used 
to  own  my  place." 

"  How  often  have  you  seen  me  ?  "  asked  Boone. 

"  Once  in  clear  daylight,  twice  back  there  at  night," 
answered  the  stranger. 

"  Did  you  know  that  you  could  have  earned  a  good 


THE    VIGIL-KEEPER  201 

many  dollars  by  telling  the  police  as  much  ? "  asked 
Boone ;  and  the  other  regarded  him  with  a  frown. 

"  I'm  a  peaceable  man  when  people  will  let  me  be ;  but 
I  don't  take  that  kind  of  talk  from  anybody." 

"  I  was  sure,  or  I  shouldn't  have  asked  you/'  said 
Boone.  '  They  don't  raise  mean  Canadians  yonder  in 
the  country  you  came  from  among  the  rocks  and  trees. 
You're  not  overrich,  either,  are  you?  to  judge  from  my 
own  experience,  for  I  put  more  money  into  the  land 
than  I  ever  took  out  of  it.  However,  that  doesn't  con- 
cern the  main  thing.  Just  now  I'm  a  hungry  man." 

The  big  axman's  face  relaxed,  and  he  laughed  the 
deep,  almost  silent,  laugh  which  those  like  him  learn  in 
the  shadow  of  the  northern  pines.  There  is  as  little 
mirth  in  it  as  there  is  in  most  of  their  hard  lives,  but  one 
can  generally  trust  them  with  soul  and  body. 

"  Breakfast  will  be  ready  soon's  I  get  home.  You  just 
come  along,"  he  said. 

We  followed  him  to  the  log-house  which  had  risen 
beside  Boone's  dilapidated  dwelling.  A  neatly-dressed, 
dark-haired  woman  was  busy  about  the  stove,  and  our 
host  presented  us  very  simply.  "  Here's  the  man  who 
shot  the  money-lender,  and  a  partner,  Lou." 

The  woman,  who  laid  down  the  pan  she  held,  cast  a 
quick  glance  of  interest  at  my  companion.  "  We  have 
seen  you,  and  wondered  why  you  never  looked  in,"  she 
said. 

"  Did  you  twice  do  a  great  kindness  for  me  ?  "  asked 
Boone. 

The  woman's  black  eyes  softened.  "  Sure,  that  was 
a  little  thing,  and  don't  count  for  much.  The  posies 
were  so  pretty,  and  I  figured  they'd  keep  fresh  a  little 
longer,"  she  said. 

"  It  was  one  of  the  little  things  which  count  the  most," 
said  Boone. 

Thereupon  the  woman's  olive-tinted  face  flushed  into 
warmer  color,  while  her  long-limbed  spouse  observed: 
"  She's  of  the  French  habitant  stock,  and  their  ways  of 
showing  they  haven't  forgotten  aren't  the  same  as  ours." 

Breakfast  was  set  before  us,  and  I  think  Boone  had 


202     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

made  firm  friends  of  our  hosts  before  we  finished  the 
meal.  He  had  abilities  in  this  direction.  They,  on  their 
part,  were  very  simple  people,  the  man  silent  for  the  most 
part,  rugged  in  face,  and  abrupt  when  he  spoke,  but 
shrewd  in  his  own  way  it  seemed  withal,  and  probably  as 
generous  as  he  was  hard  at  a  bargain.  His  wife  was  of 
the  more  emotional  Latin  stock,  quick  in  her  movements, 
and  one  might  surmise  equally  quick  in  sympathy. 

"  You  are  not  the  man  who  bought  the  place  at  the 
sale,"  said  Boone,  at  length.  "  I  can  remember  him 
tolerably  well,  and,  if  I  couldn't,  one  would  hardly  figure 
you  were  likely  to  work  under  Lane." 

"  No ! "  and  the  farmer  laughed  his  curious  laugh 
again.  "  No.  I  shouldn't  say.  We  never  worked  for 
any  master  since  my  grandfather  got  fired  for  wanting 
his  own  way  by  the  Hudson's  Bay,  and  I  guess  neither 
Lane  nor  the  devil  could  handle  the  rest  of  us.  He  once 
came  round  to  try." 

"  How  ?  "  I  asked,  and  the  gaunt  farmer  sighed  a  little 
as  he  filled  his  pipe.  "  This  way.  He  was  open  to 
finance  me  to  buy  up  a  poor  devil's  place,  and  if  I'd 
had  a  little  less  temper  and  a  little  more  sense  I  might 
have  obliged  him,  and  landed  a  good  pile  of  money, 
too." 

"  He's  just  talking.  Don't  you  believe  him,"  broke 
in  the  woman,  with  an  indignant  glance  at  her  spouse. 

I  fancied  Boone  saw  the  drift  of  this,  which  was 
more  than  I  did,  and  the  farmer  nodded  oracularly 
in  his  direction  when  I  asked :  "  What  did  you  do 
instead?" 

"Just  reached  for  a  big  ox-goad,  and  walked  up  to 
him  like  a  blame  millionaire  or  a  hot-headed  fool.  Them 
negotiations  broke  right  off,  and  he  lit  out  across  the 
prairie  talking  'bout  assaults  and  violences  at  twenty 
mile  an  hour.  Some  other  man  will  know  better,  and 
that's  just  how  Lane  will  get  badly  left  some  day." 

The  woman  laughed  immoderately.  "  It  was  way 
better'n  a  circus,"  she  said.  "  He  didn't  tell  you  he 
rammed  the  ox-goad  into  the  skittish  horse,  and  Lane 
he  just  hugged  the  beast." 


THE    VIGIL-KEEPER  203 

The  picture  of  the  full-fledged  Lane,  who  made  a 
very  poor  figure  in  the  saddle  at  any  time,  careering 
panic-stricken  across  the  prairie  with  his  arms  about  the 
neck  of  a  bolting  horse  appealed  to  me;  but  as  to  the 
possibility  of  the  usurer's  future  discomfiture  I  was  still 
in  the  dark,  and  asked  for  enlightenment. 

"  It's  easy,"  said  the  farmer.  "  Lane  he  squeezes 
somebody  until  he  can't  hold  on  to  his  property,  then 
he  puts  up  the  money  and  another  man  buys  the  place 
dirt-cheap  for  him,  in  his  own  name.  Suppose  that  man 
goes  back  on  Lane  ?  '  This  place  is  my  own/  says  he. 
Well,  he's  recorded  owner,  isn't  he?  and  I  figure  Lane 
wouldn't  be  mighty  keen  on  dragging  that  kind  of  case 
into  the  courts." 

"  But  he  wouldn't  put  any  man  in  unless  he  had  him 
by  the  throat,"  said  I ;  and  the  farmer  grinned. 

"  Juss  so !  He'll  choke  some  fellow  with  grit  in  him 
a  bit  too  much  some  day,  and  when  the  wrong  breed 
of  scoundrel  is  jammed  right  up  between  the  devil  and 
the  sea,  it's  quite  likely  he'll  go  for  the  devil  before  he 
starts  swimming." 

"  I  " — and  Boone  regarded  the  farmer  fixedly — "  quite 
agree  with  you.  Do  you  mind  telling  me  what  you  gave 
for  this  place  ?  " 

Our  host  named  the  sum  without  hesitation,  adding 
that  he  would  be  glad  to  show  us  over  it;  and  Boone's 
face  grew  somber  as  he  said :  "  It  is  more  than  twice  what 
it  was  sold  for  when  it  was  stolen  from  me." 

We  walked  around  the  plowed  land,  inspected  the 
stock,  stables,  and  barns,  and  when,  after  a  cordial  part- 
ing with  our  hosts,  we  rode  away,  Boone  turned  to  me: 
"  It  was  an  ordeal,  and  harrowing  to  see  what  might  have 
been  but  for  an  insatiable  man's  cunning  and  my  poverty. 
Another  half-hour  of  the  memories  would  have  been  too 
much  for  me.  Well,  we  can  let  that  pass.  They  were 
kind  souls,  and  this  last  lesson  may  have  been  necessary. 
Strange,  isn't  it,  that  the  simple  are  sometimes  shrewder 
than  the  wise?" 

"  For  instance  ?  "  I  said ;  and  Boone  smiled  signifi- 
cantly. 


204     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"Yonder  very  plain  farmer  has  hit  upon  a  weak  spot 
in  Lane's  armor  which  the  keenest  brain  on  this  prairie 
— I  don't  mean  my  own,  of  course — has  hitherto  failed 
to  see." 

Soon  afterwards  we  separated,  each  going  his  different 
way. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   WORK   OF  AN   ENEMY 

WHATEVER  action  the  police  took  concerning  Lane's 
descent  upon  Crane  Valley  was  not  apparent,  and  Thorn 
may  have  been  justified  in  deciding  that  they  took  none 
at  all.  However  that  may  have  been,  Lane  left  us  in 
peace  for  a  while,  and  it  was  not  by  his  own  hands  that 
the  next  bolt  was  launched  against  me.  He  preferred, 
as  a  rule,  to  strike  through  another  person's  agency,  and 
usually  contrived  it  so  that  when  trouble  resulted  the 
agent  bore  the  brunt  of  it. 

I  was  tramping  behind  the  seeder  one  fine  morning, 
alternately  watching  the  somewhat  unruly  team  and  the 
trickle  of  golden  grain  into  the  good  black  loam,  when 
two  horsemen  appeared  on  the  prairie.  They  headed  for 
the  homestead,  and  living  in  a  state  of  expectancy, 
as  we  then  did,  I  shared  the  misgivings  of  Thorn. 
"  They're  coming  our  way  in  a  hurry,  sure ;  and  the 
sight  of  anyone  whose  business  I  don't  know  worries 
me  just  now,"  he  said. 

"  If  it's  bad  news  we'll  learn  it  soon  enough,"  I  said. 
"  Go  on  to  the  end  of  the  harrowing.  That  we'll  have 
a  frost-nipped  harvest  if  we're  not  through  with  the  sow- 
ing shortly  is  the  one  thing  certain." 

The  two  horsemen  drew  nearer,  and  it  appeared  that 
both  wore  uniform,  while  I  caught  the  glint  of  carbines. 
This  in  itself  was  significant,  and  I  wondered  whether 
Mackay  had  discovered  the  identity  of  Boone.  Shortly 
I  recognized  the  sergeant  and  Cotton,  who  a  little  later 
drew  bridle  beside  the  seeder.  Mackay's  face  was  ex- 
pressionless, but  Cotton  looked  distinctly  unhappy,  and 
once  more  I  felt  sorry  for  Boone. 

"  I  have  a  word  for  ye.  Will  ye  walk  to  the  house 
with  me  ?  "  said  the  former.  I  glanced  at  Cotton,  who, 

205 


206     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

stooping,  pretended  to  examine  his  carbine.  Thorn  ap- 
peared suspicious,  for  he  dropped  the  lines  he  held,  and 
his  eyes  grew  keen. 

"  I'm  sorry  that  is  the  one  thing  I  can't  do  just  now, 
when  every  moment  of  this  weather  is  precious,"  I  said. 
"  If  you  can't  wait  until  we  stop  at  noon,  there's  no  ap- 
parent reason  why  you  shouldn't  state  your  business 
here." 

"  Ye  had  better  fcome,"  said  Mackay,  looking  very 
wooden.  "  Forby,  I'm  thinking  ye  will  sow  no  more 
to-day." 

"  I'm  not  in  the  humor  for  joking,  and  intend  to  con- 
tinue sowing  until  it  is  too  dark  to  see,"  I  answered 
shortly.  "  Have  you  any  authority  to  prevent  me  ?  " 

"  I  have,"  said  the  sergeant.  "  Well,  if  ye  will  have 
it — authority  to  arrest  ye  on  a  charge  of  unlawfully 
burning  the  homestead  of  Gaspard's  Trail." 

Astonishment,  dismay,  and  anger  held  me  dumb  be- 
tween them  for  a  few  moments.  Then,  as  the  power  of 
speech  returned,  I  said :  "  Confound  you,  Mackay  !  You 
don't  think  I  could  possibly  have  had  any  hand  in  that  ?  " 

"  It's  no'  my  business  to  think,"  was  the  dry  answer ; 
"  I'm  here  to  carry  out  orders.  What  was  it  ye  were 
observing,  Foreman  Thorn  ?  " 

"  Only  that  Niven  or  Lane  was  a  mighty  long  time 
finding  this  thing  out;  and  that,  while  nobody  expects 
too  much  from  the  police,  we  never  figured  they  were 
clean,  stark,  raging  lunatics,"  said  Thorn. 

"  I'm  no'  expecting  compliments,"  said  Mackay.  "  Ye 
will  do  your  duty,  Corporal  Cotton." 

"  You  can  put  that  thing  back.  I'm  not  a  wild  beast, 
and  have  sense  enough  to  see  that  I  must  wait  for  satis- 
faction until  some  of  your  chiefs  at  headquarters  hear  of 
your  smartness,"  I  said.  Then  Cotton  positively  hung 
his  head  as  he  let  the  carbine  slip  back  into  its  holster, 
while  Mackay  stared  after  the  departing  Thorn,  who 
made  for  the  homestead  as  fast  as  he  could  run. 

"  What  is  his  business  ?  "  he  said. 

"  His  own !  "  I  answered  shortly.  "  Unless  you  have 
also  a  warrant  for  his  arrest,  it  would  be  injudicious  of 


THE    WORK    OF    AN    ENEMY  207 

you  to  stop  him.  Thorn  has  an  ugly  temper,  and  would 
be  justified  in  resenting  the  interference.  What  is  your 
program  ?  " 

"  To  ride  in  to  the  railroad  whenever  ye  are  ready, 
and  deliver  ye  safely  in  Empress  City." 

"  I  suppose  one  can  only  make  the  best  of  it ;  but  con- 
sidering that  you  were  probably  consulted  before  a  war- 
rant was  issued,  I  can't  help  feeling  astonished,"  I  said. 
"  However,  there  is  no  use  in  wasting  words,  and  an 
hour  will  suffice  me  to  get  ready  in." 

I  left  the  team  standing  before  the  seeder,  careless  as 
to  what  became  of  them,  for,  even  if  acquitted,  I  felt 
that  my  career  was  closed  at  last.  No  forced  labor  could 
make  up  for  time  lost  now,  and,  because  justice  in  the 
West  is  slow,  it  was  perfectly  clear  why  the  charge  had 
been  made.  There  was  a  scene  with  Sally  when  we 
reached  the  homestead,  and  Cotton  fled  before  her  biting 
comments  on  police  sagacity.  Even  Mackay  winced 
under  certain  allusions,  and  when  I  asked  him :  "  Am  I 
permitted  to  talk  to  my  housekeeper  alone  ? "  assented 
readily. 

"  Ye  may,"  he  said,  "  and  welcome ;  I  do  not  envy  ye." 

If  Sally's  tongue  could  be  venomous,  her  brain  was 
keen,  and,  as  Steel  was  absent,  it  was  with  confidence  I 
left  instructions  with  her.  Thorn  had  vanished  com- 
pletely, and  the  girl  only  looked  mysterious  when  ques- 
tioned concerning  him.  At  length  all  was  ready,  and 
turning  in  the  saddle  as  we  rode  away,  I  waved  my  hat 
to  Sally,  who  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  homestead 
with  eyes  suspiciously  dim.  I  wondered,  with  a  strange 
lack  of  interest,  whether  I  should  ever  see  either  it  or 
her  again.  Cotton  also  saluted  her,  and  the  girl  suddenly 
moved  forward  a  pace,  holding  up  her  hand. 

"  Make  sure  of  your  prisoner,  Sergeant,"  she  said. 
"  What's  the  use  of  talking  justice  to  the  poor  man 
when  he's  ground  down  by  the  thief  with  capital  ?  We're 
getting  tired — we  have  waited  for  that  justice  so  long — 
and  I  give  you  and  the  fools  or  rogues  behind  you  warn- 
ing that  if  you  jail  Ormesby,  the  boys  will  come  for  him 
with  rifles  a  hundred  strong." 


208    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Mackay  touched  his  beast  with  the  spurs,  and  as  we 
passed  out  of  earshot,  said  to  me :  "  If  the  boys  have  her 
spirit  I'm  thinking  it's  not  impossible.  Your  friends  are 
not  judicious,  Henry  Ormesby." 

"  They  are  stanch,  at  least,  and  above  being  bought," 
I  said;  and  Mackay  stiffened. 

"  What  were  ye  meaning  ?  " 

"  I  think  my  meaning  was  plain  enough,"  I  answered 
him. 

Many  leagues  divided  us  from  the  railroad,  and  the  way 
seemed  very  long.  The  dejection  that  settled  upon  me 
brought  a  physical  lassitude  with  it,  and  I  rode  wearily, 
jolting  in  the  saddle  before  the  journey  was  half  done. 
Since  the  memorable  night  at  Bonaventure,  when  I  first 
met  Boone,  trouble  after  trouble  had  crowded  on  me, 
and,  supported  by  mere  obstinacy  when  hope  had  gone, 
I  still  held  on.  Now  it  seemed  the  end  had  come,  and,  at 
the  best,  I  must  retire  beaten  to  earn  a  daily  wage  by 
the  labor  of  my  hands  if  I  escaped  conviction  as  a  felon. 
Lane  would  absorb  Crane  Valley,  as  he  had  done  Gas- 
pard's  Trail.  As  if  in  mockery  the  prairie  had  donned 
its  gayest  robe  of  green,  and  lay  flooded  with  cloudless 
sunshine. 

Mackay  made  no  further  advances  since  my  last  re- 
pulse, but  rode  silently  on  my  right  hand,  Cotton  on  my 
left,  holding  back  a  little  so  that  I  could  not  see  him, 
and  so  birch  bluff,  willows,  and  emerald  levels  rolled  up 
before  us  and  slid  back  to  the  prairie's  rim  until,  towards 
dusk  on  the  second  day,  cubes  of  wooden  houses  and  a 
line  of  gaunt  telegraph  poles  loomed  up  ahead. 

"  I'm  glad,"  said  Corporal  Cotton,  breaking  into  speech 
at  last.  "  I  don't  know  if  you'll  believe  it,  Ormesby,  but 
this  has  been  a  sickening  day  to  me.  I'm  tired  of  the 
confounded  service — I'm  tired  of  everything." 

"  Ye're  young  and  tender  on  the  bit,  and  without  the 
sense  to  go  canny  when  it  galls  ye.  What  ails  ye  at 
the^  service  anyway  ?  "  interposed  the  sergeant. 

"  I'll  say  nothing  about  some  of  the  duties.  They're 
a  part  of  the  contract,"  answered  Cotton.  "  Still,  I  never 


THE    WORK    OF    AN    ENEMY          209 

bargained  to  arrest  my  best  friends  when  I  became  a 
policeman." 

"  Friends ! "  said  Mackay.  "  Who  were  ye  mean- 
ing?" and  Cotton  turned  in  my  direction  with  the  face 
of  one  who  had  narrowly  escaped  a  blunder. 

"  Aren't  you  asking  useless  questions  ?  I  mean  Rancher 
Ormesby."" 

"  I  observed  ye  used  the  plural,"  said  Mackay. 

Cotton  answered  shortly :  "  When  one  is  going  through 
a  disgusting  duty  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  he  may  be 
forgiven  a  trifling  lapse  in  grammar." 

The  light  was  failing  as  we  rode  up  to  the  station 
some  time  before  the  train  was  due,  and  looking  back, 
I  saw  several  diminutive  objects  on  the  edge  of  the 
prairie.  They  were,  I  surmised,  mounted  settlers  coming 
in  for  letters  or  news,  but  except  that  the  blaze  of  crim- 
son behind  them  forced  them  up,  it  would  have  been 
hard  to  recognize  the  shapes  of  men  and  beasts.  Round 
the  other  half  of  the  circle  the  waste  was  fading  into 
the  dimness  that  crept  up  from  the  east,  and  feeling  that 
I  had  probably  done  with  the  prairie,  and  closed  another 
chapter  of  my  life,  I  turned  my  eyes  towards  the  string 
of  giant  poles  and  the  little  railroad  station  ahead. 

There  were  fewer  loungers  than  usual  about  it,  but 
when  we  dismounted,  Cotton  started  as  two  feminine 
figures  strolled  side  by  side  down  the  platform,  and  said 
something  softly  under  his  breath. 

"  What  has  surprised  you  ?  "  I  asKed,  and  he  pointed 
towards  the  pair. 

"  Those  are  Haldane's  daughters,  by  all  that  is 
unfortunate !  " 

There  was  no  avoiding  the  meeting.  Darkness  had 
not  settled  yet,  and  Mackay,  who  failed  to  recognize 
the  ladies,  was  regarding  us  impatiently.  "  I'll  do  my 
best,  and  they  may  not  notice  anything  suspicious,"  the 
corporal  said. 

We  moved  forward,  Mackay  towards  the  office,  Cot- 
ton hanging  behind  me,  but,  as  ill-luck  would  have  it, 
both  ladies  saw  us  when  we  reached  the  track,  and  before 


210     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

I  could  recover  from  my  dismay,  I  stood  face  to  face 
with  Beatrice  Haldane.  She  was,  it  seemed  to  me,  more 
beautiful  than  ever,  but  I  longed  that  the  earth  might 
open  beneath  me. 

"  It  is  some  time  since  I  have  seen  you,  and  you  do 
not  look  well,"  she  said.  "  You  once  described  the  West- 
ern winters  as  invigorating;  but  one  could  almost  fancy 
the  last  had  been  too  much  for  you." 

"  I  cannot  say  the  same  thing,  and  if  we  had  nothing 
more  than  the  weather  to  contend  with,  we  might  pre- 
serve our  health,"  I  said.  "  I  did  not  know  you  were 
at  Bonaventure,  or  I  should  have  ridden  over  to  pay 
my  respects  to  you." 

Beatrice  Haldane  did  not  say  whether  this  would  have 
given  her  pleasure  or  otherwise.  Indeed,  her  manner, 
if  slightly  cordial,  was  nothing  more,  and  I  found  it  de- 
sirable to  study  a  rail  fastening  when  I  saw  her  sister 
watching  me. 

"  I  arrived  from  the  East  only  a  few  days  ago,,  and 
we  are  now  awaiting  my  father,  who  had  some  business 
down  the  line.  Are  you  going  out  with  the  train  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  Empress,"  I  said ;  and  Lucille  Hal- 
dane interposed :  "  That  is  a  long  way ;  and  the  last 
time  he  met  you,  you  told  father  you  were  too  busy  to 
visit  Bonaventure.  Who  will  see  to  your  sowing — and 
will  you  stay  there  long?  " 

I  heard  Corporal  Cotton  grind  his  heel  viciously  into 
the  plank  beneath  him;  and  I  answered,  in  desperation: 

"  I  do  not  know.     I  am  afraid  so." 

Perhaps  the  girl  noticed  by  my  voice  that  all  was 
not  well.  Indeed,  Beatrice  also  commenced  to  regard  the 
corporal  and  myself  curiously. 

"  What  has  happened,  Mr.  Ormesby  ?  You  look  pos- 
itively haggard  ?  "  the  younger  sister  said.  "  Why  are 
you  keeping  in  the  background,  Corporal  Cotton?  Have 
you  done  anything  to  be  ashamed  of?  "  Then  she  ceased 
with  a  gasp  of  pained  surprise,  and  I  read  consterna- 
tion in  her  eyes. 

"  You  have  guessed  aright.  I  am  not  making  this 
journey  of  my  own  will,"  I  said. 


THE    WORK    OF    AN    ENEMY 

Beatrice  Haldane  turned  with  a  swift  movement, 
which  brought  us  once  more  fully  face  to  face,  and,  un- 
like her  sister,  she  was  strangely  cold  and  grave. 

"  Is  it  permissible  to  ask  any  questions  ? "  she  said, 
and  her  even  tone  stung  me  to  the  quick.  One  whisper 
against  the  speaker  would  have  roused  me  to  fury. 

"  Everybody  will  know  to-morrow  or  the  next  day, 
and  I  may  as  well  tell  you  now/'  I  said,  in  a  voice  which 
sounded,  even  in  my  own  ears,  hoarse  with  bitterness. 
"  I  am  to  be  tried  for  burning  down  the  homestead  of 
Gaspard's  Trail." 

Beatrice  Haldane  certainly  showed  surprise,  but  she 
seemed  more  thoughtful  than  indignant,  and  still  fixed 
me  with  her  eyes.  They  were  clear  and  very  beautiful, 
but  I  had  begun  to  wonder  if  a  spark  of  human  passion 
would  ever  burn  within  them. 

"  It  is  absurd — preposterous.  Come  here  at  once, 
Sergeant !  "  a  clear  young  voice  with  a  thrill  of  unmis- 
takable anger  in  it  said;  but  Mackay  seemed  desirous  of 
backing  into  the  station  agent's  office  instead. 

"  I  want  you,"  added  Lucille  Haldane.  "  Come  at 
once,  and  tell  me  why  you  have  done  this." 

The  sergeant's  courage  was  evidently  unequal  to  the 
task,  for  with  a  brief,  "  I  will  try  to  satisfy  ye  when 
I  have  transacted  my  business,"  he  disappeared  into  the 
office,  and  I  turned  again  to  Beatrice  Haldane. 

"  You  see  it  is  unfortunately  true ;  but  you  do  not 
appear  astonished,"  I  said. 

Beatrice  Haldane  looked  at  me  sharply,  but  without 
indignation,  for  she  was  always  mistress  of  herself,  and 
before  she  could  speak  her  sister  broke  in :  "  Do  you 
wish  to  make  us  angry,  when  we  are  only  sorry  for  you, 
Mr.  Ormesby?  Everybody  knows  that  neither  you  nor 
any  rancher  in  this  district  could  be  guilty.  Corporal 
Cotton,  will  you  inquire  if  your  superior  has  finished  his 
business,  and  tell  him  that  I  am  waiting?" 

"  The  old  heathen  deserves  it ! "  said  Cotton  aside  to 
me,  as,  with  unfeigned  relief,  he  hurried  away,  and  it 
was  only  by  an  effort  I  refrained  from  following  him. 
The  interview  was  growing  painful  in  the  extreme. 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Still,  I  was  respited,  for  Beatrice  Haldane  turned  from 
us  suddenly. 

"  What  can  this  mean  ?  There  is  a  troop  of  horse- 
men riding  as  for  their  lives  towards  the  station/'  she 
said. 

It  was  growing  dark,  but  not  too  dark  to  see  a  band 
of  mounted  men  converge  at  a  gallop  upon  the  station, 
and  for  the  first  time  I  noticed  how  the  loungers  stared 
at  them,  and  heard  the  jingle  of  harness  and  thud  of 
drumming  hoofs.  None  of  them  shouted  or  spoke.  They 
came  on  in  ominous  silence,  the  spume  flakes  flying  from 
the  lathered  beasts,  the  clods  whirling  up,  until  a  voice 
cried: 

"  Two  of  you  stand  by  to  hold  up  the  train !  The  rest 
will  come  along  with  me !  " 

Amid  a  musical  jingling,  the  horses  were  pulled  up 
close  beside  the  track,  and  men  in  embroidered  deerskin 
with  broad  white  hats  and  men  in  old  blue- jean  leaped 
hurriedly  down.  Several  carried  rifles,  while,  guessing 
their  purpose,  I  pointed  towards  the  frame  houses  across 
the  unfenced  track.  "  You  must  go  at  once,  Miss  Hal- 
dane. There  may  be  a  tumult,"  I  said. 

Lucille  seemed  reluctant,  Beatrice  by  no  means  hur- 
ried, and  I  do  not  remember  whether  I  bade  either  of 
them  farewell,  for  as  the  newcomers  came  swiftly  into 
the  station  a  gaunt  commanding  figure  holding  a  car- 
bine barred  their  way,  and  Corporal  Cotton  leaped  out 
from  the  office.  The  station  agent,  holding  a  revolver, 
also  placed  himself  between  them  and  me. 

"  What  are  ye  wanting,  boys  ?  "  a  steady  voice  asked ; 
and  the  men  halted  within  a  few  paces  of  the  carbine's 
muzzle.  I  could  just  see  that  they  were  my  friends  and 
neighbors,  and  I  noticed  that  one  who  rode  up  and  down 
the  track  seemed  inclined  to  civilly  prevent  the  ladies 
from  retiring  to  the  wooden  settlement.  Perhaps  he 
feared  they  intended  to  raise  its  inhabitants. 

"  We  want  Harry  Ormesby,"  answered  a  voice  I  rec- 
ognized as  belonging  to  Steel.  "  Stand  out  of  the  day- 
light, Sergeant.  We  have  no  call  to  hurt  you." 

"  I'm  thinking  that's  true,"  said  Mackay ;  and  I  ad- 


THE    WORK    OF    AN    ENEMY  213 

mired  his  coolness  as  he  stood  alone,  save  for  the  young 
corporal,  grimly  eying  the  crowd.  "  It  will,  however, 
be  my  distressful  duty  to  damage  the  first  of  ye  who 
moves  a  foot  nearer  my  prisoner.  Noo  will  ye  hear 
reason,  boys,  or  will  I  wire  for  a  squadron  to  convince 
ye?  Ormesby  ye  cannot  have,  and  will  ye  shame  your 
own  credit  and  me?  " 

There  was  a  murmur  of  consultation,  but  no  dis- 
orderly clamor.  The  men  whom  Thorn  had  raised  to 
rescue  me  were  neither  habitual  brawlers  nor  desper- 
adoes, but  sturdy  stock-riders  and  tillers  of  the  soil, 
smarting  under  a  sense  of  oppression.  They  were  all 
fearless,  and  would,  I  knew,  have  faced  a  cavalry  bri- 
gade to  uphold  what  appeared  their  rights,  but  they 
were  equally  averse  to  any  bloodshed  or  violence  that 
was  not  necessary. 

"  There's  no  use  talking,  Sergeant,"  somebody  said. 
"  We  don't  go  back  without  our  man,  and  it  will  be 
better  for  all  of  us  if  you  release  him.  You  know  as 
well  as  we  do  there's  nothing  against  him." 

Meanwhile,  I  could  not  well  interfere  without  precip- 
itating a  crisis.  The  station  agent,  who  stated  that  Mac- 
kay  had  deputed  him  authority,  stood  beside  me  with 
the  pistol  in  his  hand.  Neither  was  I  certain  what  my 
part  would  be,  for,  stung  to  white  heat  by  Beatrice  Hal- 
dane's  coldness,  which  suggested  suspicion,  and  came  as 
a  climax  to  a  series  of  injuries,  I  wondered  whether  it 
might  not  be  better  to  make  a  dash  for  liberty  and 
leave  the  old  hard  life  behind  me.  There  might  be 
better  fortune  beyond  the  Rockies,  and  I  felt  that  Lane 
would  not  have  instigated  the  charge  of  arson  unless  he 
saw  his  way  to  substantiate  it. 

Nevertheless,  I  could  watch  the  others  with  a  strange 
and  almost  impersonal  curiosity — the  group  of  men 
standing  with  hard  hands  on  the  rifle  barrels  ready  for 
a  rush;  the  grim  figure  of  the  sergeant,  and  the  young 
corporal  poised  with  head  held  high,  left  foot  flung  for- 
ward, and  carbine  at  hip,  in  front  of  them. 

"  We'll  give  you  two  minutes  in  which  to  make  up  your 
mind,  Then,  if  you  can't  climb  down,  and  anything  un- 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

pleasant  happens,  it  will  be  on  your  head.  Can't  you 
see  you  haven't  the  ghost  of  a  show  ?  "  said  one. 

Turning  my  eyes  a  moment,  I  noticed  a  fan-shaped 
flicker  swinging  like  a  comet  across  the  dusky  waste 
far  down  the  straight-ruled  track,  and  when  a  man  I 
knew  held  up  his  watch  beneath  a  lamp,  I  had  almost 
come  to  a  decision.  If  the  sergeant  had  shown  any 
sign  of  weakness  it  is  perhaps  possible  that  decision 
might  have  been  reversed;  but  Mackay  stood  as  though 
cast  in  iron,  and  equally  unyielding.  I  would  at  least 
have  no  blood  shed  on  my  account,  and  would  not  leave 
my  friends  to  bear  the  consequences  of  their  unthinking 
generosity.  Meanwhile,  stock-rider  and  teamster  were 
waiting  in  strained  attention,  and  there  was  still  almost 
a  minute  left  to  pass  when  a  light  hand  touched  my 
shoulder,  and  Lucille  Haldane,  appearing  from  behind 
me,  said :  "  You  must  do  something.  Go  forward  and 
speak  to  them  immediately."  She  was  trembling  with 
eagerness,  but  the  station  agent  stood  on  my  other  side, 
and  he  was  woodenly  stolid. 

"  Put  down  that  weapon.  I  will  speak  to  them,"  I 
said. 

"  You're  healthier  here/'  was  the  suspicious  answer ; 
and  chiefly  conscious  of,  the  appeal  and  anxiety  in  Lu- 
cille Haldane's  eyes,  I  turned  upon  him. 

"  Stand  out  of  my  way — confound  you !  "  I  shouted. 

The  man  fingered  the  pistol  uncertainly,  and  I  could 
have  laughed  at  his  surmise  that  the  sight  of  it  would 
have  held  me  then.  Before,  even  if  he  wished  it,  his 
finger  could  close  on  the  trigger,  I  had  him  by  the  wrist, 
and  the  weapon  fell  with  a  clash.  Then  I  lifted  him 
bodily  and  flung  him  upon  the  track,  while,  as  amid  a 
shouting,  Cotton  sprang  forward,  Mackay  roared: 
"  Bide  ye,  let  him  go ! '" 

The  shouting  ceased  suddenly  when  I  stood  between 
my  friends  and  the  sergeant  with  hands  held  up.  "  I'll 
never  forget  what  you  have  done,  boys ;  but  it  is  no  use," 
I  said ;  and  paused  to  gather  breath,  amid  murmurs  of 
surprise  and  consternation.  "  In  the  first  place,  I  can't 
drag  you  into  this  trouble." 


THE    WORK    OF    AN    ENEMY          215 

"  We'll  take  the  chances  willing,"  a  voice  said,  and 
there  was  a  grim  chorus  of  approval.  "  We've  borne 
enough,  and  it's  time  we  did  something." 

"  Can't  you  see  that  if  I  bolted  now  it  would  suit  no- 
body better  than  Lane?  Boys,  you  know  I'm  inno- 
cent  " 

Again  a  clamor  broke  out,  and  somebody  cried :  "  It 
was  Lane's  own  man  who  did  it,  if  anybody  fired  Gas- 
pard's  Trail!" 

"  He  may  not  be  able  to  convict  me,  and  if  instead 
of  rushing  the  sergeant  you  will  go  home  and  help 
Thorn  with  the  sowing,  we  may  beat  him  yet,"  I  con- 
tinued. "  Even  if  I  am  convicted,  I'll  come  back  again, 
and  stay  right  here  until  Lane  is  broken,  or  one  of  us 
is  dead." 

The  hoot  of  a  whistle  cut  me  short,  the  brightening 
blaze  of  a  great  headlamp  beat  into  our  faces,  and  fur- 
ther speech  was  out  of  the  question,  as  with  brakes 
groaning  the  lighted  cars  clanged  in. 

"  Be  quick,  Sergeant,  before  they  change  their 
minds !  "  I  shouted,  and  Mackay  and  Cotton  scrambled 
after  me  on  to  a  car  platform.  No  train  that  ever  en- 
tered that  station  had,  I  think,  so  prompt  dispatch,  for 
Cotton  had  hardly  opened  the  door  of  the  vestibule  than 
the  bell  clanged  and  the  huge  locomotive  snorted  as  the 
cars  rolled  out.  I  had  a  momentary  vision  of  the  agent, 
who  seemed  partly  dazed,  scowling  in  my  direction,  a 
group  of  dark  figures  swinging  broad-brimmed  hats,  and 
Lucille  Haldane  standing  on  the  edge  of  the  platform 
waving  her  hand  to  me.  Then  the  lights  faded  behind 
us,  and  we  swept  out,  faster  and  faster,  across  the 
prairie. 


CHAPTER   XX 
LEADEN-FOOTED   JUSTICE 

I  HAD  spent  a  number  of  weary  days  awaiting  trial, 
when  a  visitor  was  announced,  and  a  young,  smooth- 
shaven  man  shown  into  my  quarters.  He  nodded  to  me 
pleasantly,  seated  himself  on  the  edge  of  the  table,  and 
commenced :  "  Your  friends  sent  me  along.  I  hope 
to  see  you  through  this  trouble,  Rancher,  and  want  you 
to  tell  me  exactly  how  your  difficulties  began.  Think  of 
all  the  little  things  that  didn't  strike  you  as  quite  usual." 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  in  the  first  place  who  you  are. 
I  know  your  name  is  Dixon,  but  that  does  not  convey 
very  much,"  I  said. 

The  stranger  laughed  good-humoredly.  "  And  such 
is  fame !  Now  I  had  fancied  everybody  who  read  the 
papers  knew  my  name,  and  that  I  had  won  some  small 
reputation  down  at  Winnipeg.  Anyway,  I'm  generally 
sent  for  in  cases  with  a  financial  origin." 

Then  I  remembered,  and  looked  hard  at  the  speaker. 
The  last  sentence  was  justified,  but  he  differed  greatly 
from  one's  idea  of  the  typical  lawyer.  He  was  not  even 
neatly  dressed,  and  his  manner  singularly  lacked  the 
preciseness  of  the  legal  practitioner. 

"  I  must  apologize,  for  I  certainly  have  read  about 
you,"  I  said.  "  It  was  perhaps  natural  that  as  I  did 
not  send  for  you  I  should  be  surprised  at  your  taking  an 
interest  in  my  case.  I  am,  however,  afraid  I  cannot  re- 
tain you,  for  the  simple  reason  that  I  don't  know  where 
to  raise  sufficient  money  to  recompense  any  capable 
man's  services." 

"  Aren't  you  a  little  premature  ?  My  clients  don't 
usually  plead  poverty  until  I  send  in  my  bill,"  was  the 
answer.  "  You  own  a  tolerably  extensive  holding  in 
Crane  Valley,  don't  you  ?  " 

216 


LEADEN-FOOTED    JUSTICE  217 

"I  do ;  but  nobody,  except  one  man  with  whom  I 
would  not  deal,  would  buy  a  foot  of  it  just  now,"  I 
answered.  Then,  acceding  to  the  other's  request,  I  sup- 
ported the  statement  by  a  brief  account  of  my  circum- 
stances. "All  this  is  quite  beside  the  question,"  I 
concluded. 

"  No !  "  said  Dixon.  "  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  find  it 
interesting.  Won't  you  go  on  and  bring  the  story  down 
to  the  present?  " 

I  did  so,  and  the  man's  face  had  changed,  growing 
intent  and  keen  before  I  concluded. 

"  I  should  rather  like  to  manage  this  affair  for  you," 
he  said.  "  My  fees ! — well,  from  what  one  or  two 
people  said  about  you,  I  can,  if  necessary,  wait  for 
them." 

"  You  will  probably  never  be  paid.  Who  was  it  sent 
for  you  ?  " 

"  Charles  Steel,  who  was,  however,  not  quite  so  frank 
about  finances  as  you  seem  to  be,"  was  the  answer.  "  It 
was  also  curious,  or  otherwise,  that  I  was  requested  to 
see  what  could  be  done  by  two  other  gentlemen  who  of- 
fered to  guarantee  expenses.  That  is  about  as  much  as 
I  may  tell  you.  You  are  not  the  only  person  with  an 
interest  in  the  future  of  the  Crane  Valley  district." 

"  I  seem  to  be  used  as  a  stalking-horse  by  friends  and 
enemies  alike,  and  get  the  benefit  of  the  charges  each 
time  they  miss  their  aim.  The  part  grows  irksome,"  I 
said  dryly.  "  However,  if  you  are  willing  to  take  the 
risks,  I  need  capable  assistance  badly  enough." 

Dixon  seemed  quite  willing,  and  asked  further  ques- 
tions. "  You  seem  a  little  bitter  against  the  sergeant. 
What  kind  of  man  is  he  ?  "  he  said.  "  I  mean,  has  he  a 
tolerably  level  head,  or  is  he  one  of  the  discipline-made 
machines  who  can  comprehend  nothing  not  included  in 
their  code  of  rules  ?  " 

"  I  used  to  think  him  singularly  shrewd,  but  recent 
events  have  changed  my  opinion,  and  you  had  better 
place  him  in  the  latter  category/'  I  said;  and  Dixon 
chuckled  over  something. 

"  Very  natural !     I  must  see  him.     From  what  you 


218     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

said  already,  he  doesn't  strike  me  as  a  fool.  Well,  I 
don't  think  you  need  worry  too  much,  Mr.  Ormesby." 

Dixon  had  resumed  his  careless  manner  before  he  left 
me,  and,  for  no  particular  reason,  I  felt  comforted.  We 
had  several  more  interviews  before  the  trial  began,  and 
I  can  vividly  remember  the  morning  I  was  summoned 
into  court.  It  was  packed  to  suffocation,  and  the  bril- 
liant sunshine  that  beat  in  through  the  long  windows 
fell  upon  faces  that  I  knew.  Their  owners  were  mostly 
poor  men,  and  I  surmised  had  covered  the  long  distance 
on  horseback,  sleeping  on  the  prairie,  to  encourage  me. 
There  was,  indeed,  when  I  took  my  stand  a  suppressed 
demonstration  that  brought  a  quicker  throb  to  my  pulses 
and  a  glow  into  my  face.  It  was  comforting  to  know 
that  I  had  their  approbation  and  sympathy.  If  the  life  I 
had  caught  brief  glimpses  of  at  Bonaventure  was  not 
for  me,  these  hard-handed,  tireless  men  were  my  equals 
and  friends — and  I  was  proud  of  them. 

So  it  was  in  a  clear,  defiant  voice  I  pleaded  "  Not 
guilty !  "  and  presently  composed  myself  to  listen  while 
Sergeant  Mackay  detailed  my  arrest.  Bronzed  faces 
were  turned  anxiously  upon  him  when  he  was  asked: 
"  Did  the  prisoner  volunteer  any  statement,  or  offer  re- 
sistance ?  " 

Mackay  looked  down  at  the  men  before  him,  and  there 
was  a  significant  silence  in  the  body  of  the  court.  Then, 
with  a  faint  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  he  answered :  "  There 
was  a  bit  demonstration  at  the  station  in  the  prisoner's 
favor;  but  he  assisted  us  in  maintaining  order.  The 
charge,  he  said,  was  ridiculous." 

This  I  considered  a  liberal  view  to  take  of  what  had 
passed  and  my  own  comments,  and,  though  I  knew  that 
Mackay  was  never  addicted  to  unfairly  making  the  most 
of  an  advantage,  I  remembered  Dixon's  opinion.  If  he 
were  actuated  by  any  ulterior  motive,  I  had,  however, 
no  inkling  of  what  it  might  be. 

Nothing  of  much  further  importance  passed  until  the 
man  who  had  preferred  the  charge  against  me  took  his 
stand;  when,  watching  him  intently,  I  was  puzzled  by 
his  attitude.  He  appeared  irresolute,  though  I  felt  tol- 


LEADEN-FOOTED    JUSTICE  219 

erably  certain  that  his  indecision  was  quite  untinged  with 
compunction  on  my  account.  He  had  also  a  sullen  look, 
which  suggested  one  driven  against  his  will,  and,  twice 
before  he  spoke,  made  a  slight  swift  movement,  as 
though  under  the  impulse  of  a  changed  resolution. 

"  I  am  the  owner  of  the  lands  and  remains  of  the 
homestead  known  as  Gaspard's  Trail,"  he  said.  "  I 
bought  them  at  public  auction  when  sold  by  the  gentle- 
man who  held  the  prisoner's  mortgage.  Twice  that  day 
the  latter  threatened  both  of  us,  and  his  friends  raised  a 
hostile  demonstration.  He  told  me  to  take  care  of  my- 
self and  the  property,  for  he  would  live  to  see  me 
sorry ;  but  I  didn't  count  much  on  that.  Thought  he  was 
only  talking  when  naturally  a  little  mad.  Have  had 
cause  to  change  my  opinions  since.  I  turned  in  early 
on  the  night  of  the  fire  and  slept  well,  I  and  my  hired 
man,  Wilkins,  being  the  only  people  in  the  house.  Wil- 
kins  wakened  me  about  two  in  the  morning.  *  Get 
up  at  once !  Somebody  has  fired  the  place ! '  he 
said. 

"  I  got  up — in  a  mighty  hurry — and  got  out  my 
valuables.  One  end  of  the  house  was  'most  red-hot. 
There  wasn't  much  furniture  in  it.  The  prisoner  had 
cleared  out  'most  everything,  whether  it  was  in  the  mort- 
gage schedule  or  whether  it  was  not;  but  there  was 
enough  to  keep  me  busy  while  Wilkins  lit  out  to  save 
the  horses.  Wind  blew  the  sparks  right  on  to  the  stable. 
I  went  out  when  I'd  saved  what  I  could,  and  as  Wilkins 
had  been  gone  a  long  time,  concluded  he'd  made  sure  of 
the  horses.  Met  the  prisoner  when  I  was  carrying  tools 
out  of  a  threatened  shed.  Asked  him  to  help  me.  '  I'll 
see  you  burned  before  I  stir  a  hand,'  he  said.  Noticed 
he  was  skulking  round  the  corner  of  a  shed,  and  seemed 
kind  of  startled  at  the  sight  of  me,  but  was  too  rattled 
to  think  of  much  just  then.  Didn't  ask  him  anything 
more,  but  seeing  the  fire  had  taken  hold  good,  sat  down 
and  watched  it.  Yes,  sir,  I  told  somebody  it  wasn't 
insured. 

"  By-and-by  the  prisoner  came  back  with  a  dozen 
ranchers.  Didn't  seem  friendly,  or  even  civil,  most  of 


220     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

them,  and  there  was  nothing  I  could  do.  Then  I  got 
worried  about  Wilkins,  for  he'd  been  gone  a  long  time, 
and  the  stable  was  burning  bad.  One  of  the  ranchers 
said  he'd  make  sure  there  were  no  beasts  inside  it,  and 
the  prisoner  and  the  rest  went  along.  They  found  Wil- 
kins with  some  bones  broken,  and  got  him  and  the  horses 
out  between  them.  Then,  when  the  place  was  burnt 
out,  Sergeant  Mackay  rode  up.  I  was  homeless;  but 
none  of  the  ranchers  would  take  me  in.  Somebody  said 
he  wasn't  sorry,  and  I'd  got  my  deserts.  Believe  it  was 
the  prisoner;  but  can't  be  certain.  That's  all  I  know 
except  that  before  I  turned  in  I  saw  all  the  lamps  out 
and  fixed  up  the  stove.  Am  certain  the  fire  didn't  start 
from  them. 

"  I  was  hunting  among  the  ruins  with  Wilkins  a 
little  while  ago  when  I  found  a  flattened  coal-oil-tin 
under  some  fallen  beams  in  the  kitchen.  I  never  used 
that  oil,  but  heard  at  the  railroad  store  that  the  prisoner 
did.  Mightn't  have  taken  the  trouble  to  inquire,  but 
that  I  found  close  beside  it  a  silver  match-box.  It  was 
pretty  well  worn,  but  anyone  who  will  look  at  it  close 
can  read  that  it  was  given  to  H.  Ormesby.  Considering 
the  prisoner  must  have  dropped  it  there,  I  handed  both 
to  the  police." 

When  Niven  mentioned  the  match-box  I  started  as 
though  struck  by  a  bullet.  It  was  mine,  undoubtedly, 
and  most  of  my  neighbors  had  seen  it.  That  it  was 
damning  evidence  in  conjunction  with  the  oil-tin,  and 
had  been  deliberately  placed  there  for  my  undoing,  I 
felt  certain.  There  was  a  half-audible  murmur  in  the 
court  while  the  judge  examined  the  articles,  and  I  read 
traces  of  bewilderment  and  doubt  in  the  faces  turned 
towards  me.  That  these  men  should  grow  suspicious 
roused  me  to  a  sense  of  unbearable  injury,  and  I  sent 
my  voice  ringing  through  the  court.  "  It  is  an  infamous 
lie!  I  lost  the  match-box,  or  it  was  stolen  from  me 
with  a  purpose,  a  month  after  the  fire." 

The  judge  dropped  his  note-book,  the  prosecutor 
smiled  significantly;  but  I  saw  that  the  men  from  the 
prairie  believed  me,  and  that  was  very  comforting. 


LEADEN-FOOTED    JUSTICE 

Something  resembling  a  subdued  cheer  arose  from  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  building. 

"  Silence !  "  said  the  judge  sternly.  "  An  interruption 
is  neither  admissible  nor  seemly,  prisoner.  You  will  be 
called  on  in  turn." 

"  We  need  not  trouble  about  the  prisoner's  denial, 
which  was  perhaps  natural,  if  useless,  because  the  wit- 
ness' statement  will  be  fully  borne  out  by  the  man  who 
was  present  when  he  found  the  match-box,"  said  the  law- 
yer for  the  Crown.  "  I  will  now  call  Sergeant  Mackay 
again." 

Mackay 's  terse  testimony  was  damaging,  and  aroused 
my  further  indignation.  I  had  not  expected  that  he 
would  either  conceal  or  enlarge  upon  anything  that 
would  tell  against  me ;  but  had  anticipated  some  trace  of 
reluctance,  or  that  he  would  wait  longer  for  questions 
between  his  admissions.  Instead,  he  stood  rigidly  erect, 
and  reeled  off  his  injurious  testimony  more  like  a  speak- 
ing automaton  than  a  human  being. 

"  A  trooper  warned  me  that  he  had  seen  a  reflected 
blaze  in  the  sky,"  he  said.  "  We  mounted  and  rode  over 
to  Gaspard's  Trail.  Arriving  there  I  found  a  number 
of  men,  including  the  owner,  Niven,  and  the  prisoner. 
Niven  said  the  place  was  not  insured.  They  were  unable 
to  do  anything.  I  see  no  need  to  describe  the  fire.  The 
house  was  past  saving;  but  the  ranchers,  with  the  pris- 
oner among  them,  broke  into  the  burning  stable  to  bring 
out  the  horses,  which  had  been  overlooked,  and  found 
the  hired  man,  Wilkins,  partly  suffocated  in  a  stall.  He 
was  badly  injured,  but  bore  out  the  owner's  statement 
that  lamps  and  stove  were  safe  when  they  retired. 

"  I  proceeded  to  question  the  spectators.  Knew  them 
all  as  men  of  good  character,  and  as  they  had  newly 
ridden  in,  saw  no  reason  to  suspect  more  than  one  in 
case  the  fire  was  not  accidental.  Asked  Niven  whom  he 
first  met,  and  he  said  it  was  the  prisoner,  shortly  after 
the  fire  broke  out.  Stated  he  met  him  slipping  through 
the  shadow  of  a  shed,  and  the  prisoner  refused  to  assist 
him.  Was  not  surprised  at  this,  knowing  the  prisoner 
bore  Niven  little  goodwill  since  the  latter  bought  his 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

property.  Had  heard  him  threaten  him  and  another 
man  supposed  to  be  connected  with  him  in  the  purchase 
of  Gaspard's  Trail." 

"  What  reason  have  you  to  infer  that  any  other  man 
was  concerned  in  the  purchase  of  Gaspard's  Trail  ? " 
asked  the  prosecutor;  and  Mackay  answered  indiffer- 
ently : 

"  It  was  just  popular  opinion  that  he  was  finding 
Niven  the  money." 

"  We  need  not  trouble  about  popular  opinion,"  said 
the  lawyer  somewhat  hurriedly.  "  We  will  now  pro- 
ceed to  the  testimony  of  the  hired  man,  Thomas  Wil- 
kins." 

Thomas  Wilkins  was  called  for  several  times,  but 
failed  to  present  himself,  and  a  trooper  who  hurried  out 
of  court  came  back  with  the  tidings  that  he  had  bor- 
rowed a  horse  at  the  hotel  and  ridden  out  on  the  prairie 
an  hour  ago.  Since  then  nobody  had  seen  him. 

The  Crown  prosecutor  fidgeted,  the  judge  frowned, 
and  there  was  a  whispering  in  the  court,  until  the  former 
rose  up :  "  As  Wilkins  is  one  of  my  principal  witnesses, 
I  must  suggest  an  adjournment." 

It  cost  me  an  effort  to  repress  an  exclamation.  I  had 
already  been  kept  long  enough  in  suspense,  and  suspecting 
that  Wilkins  did  not  mean  to  return,  knew  that  a  length- 
ened adjournment  would  be  almost  equally  as  disastrous 
as  a  sentence. 

"  Have  you  no  information  whatever  as  to  why  he 
has  absented  himself?"  asked  the  judge.  Receiving  a 
negative  answer,  he  turned  towards  the  trooper: 
"  Exactly  what  did  you  hear  at  the  hotel  ?  " 

"  Very  little,  sir,"  was  the  answer.  "  He  didn't  tell 
anybody  where  he  was  going,  but  just  rode  out.  The 
hotelkeeper  said  he  guessed  Wilkins  had  something  on 
his  mind  by  the  way  he  kicked  things  about  last  night." 

"  It  will  be  the  business  of  the  police  to  find  him  as 
speedily  as  possible.  In  the  meantime,  I  can  only  ad- 
journ the  case  until  they  do,  unless  the  prisoner's  repre- 
sentative proceeds  with  the  examination  of  witnesses," 
said  the  judge. 


LEADEN-FOOTED    JUSTICE 

Dixon  was  on  his  feet  in  a  moment.  "  With  the  ex- 
ception of  Sergeant  Mackay  and  the  witness  Niven,  who 
will  be  further  required  by  my  legal  friend,  I  do  not 
purpose  to  trouble  the  witnesses,"  he  said.  "  While  I 
can  urge  no  reasonable  objection  to  the  adjournment,  it 
is  necessary  to  point  out  that  it  will  inflict  a  grievous 
injury  on  one  whom  I  have  every  hope  of  showing  is 
a  wholly  innocent  man.  It  is  well  known  that  this  is  the 
one  time  of  the  year  when  the  prairie  rancher's  energies 
are  taxed  to  the  utmost,  and  the  loss  of  even  a  few  days 
now  may  entail  the  loss  of  the  harvest  or  the  ruin  of 
the  stock.  My  client  has  also  suffered  considerably  from 
being  brought  here  to  answer  what  I  cannot  help  de- 
scribing as  an  unwarranted  charge,  and  it  is  only  rea- 
sonable that  bail  should  be  allowed." 

"  Is  anyone  willing  to  offer  security  ? "  asked  the 
judge. 

There  was  a  few  moments'  silence,  and  then  a  hum 
of  subdued  voices  as  a  man  rose  up;  while  I  could 
scarcely  believe  my  eyes  when  I  saw  it  was  Boone.  In 
spite  of  the  slight  change  in  his  appearance,  he  must 
have  been  aware  that  he  was  running  a  serious  risk,  for 
his  former  holding  lay  almost  within  a  day's  journey. 
I  could  also  see  that  some  of  the  spectators  started  as 
they  recognized  him. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  offer  security  for  the  prisoner's 
reappearance,  so  far  as  my  means  will  serve/'  he  said. 

"  You  are  a  citizen  of  this  place,  or  have  some  local 
standing?  "  asked  the  judge. 

Boone  answered  carelessly :  "  I  can  hardly  claim  so 
much;  but  a  good  many  people  know  me  further  west, 
and  I  am  prepared  to  submit  my  bank-book  as  a  guar- 
antee." 

He  had  scarcely  finished,  when  another  man  I  had 
not  noticed  earlier  stood  up  in  turn.  "  I  am  authorized 
by  Carson  Haldane,  of  Bonaventure,  to  offer  bail  to  any 
extent  desired." 

The  judge  beckoned  both  of  them  to  sit  down  again, 
and  called  up  a  commissioned  police  officer  and  Sergeant 
Mackay.  Then  I  felt  slightly  hopeful,  guessing  that  a 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

good  deal  depended  on  Mackay's  opinion.  The  others 
drew  aside,  and  my  heart  throbbed  fast  with  the  suspense 
until  the  judge  announced  his  decision. 

"  As  the  charge  is  a  serious  one,  and  the  police  hope 
to  find  the  missing  witness  very  shortly,  I  must,  in  the 
meantime,  refuse  to  allow  bail." 

I  had  grown  used  to  the  crushing  disappointment 
which  follows  short-lived  hope;  but  the  shock  was  hard 
to  meet.  It  seemed  only  too  probable  that  Lane  or  his 
emissaries  had  spirited  Wilkins  away,  and  would  not 
produce  him  until  it  was  too  late  to  save  my  crop.  Still, 
there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  I  followed  the  officer  who 
led  me  back  to  my  quarters  with  the  best  air  of  stolidity 
I  could  assume. 

"  What  did  you  think  of  it  ?  "  asked  Dixon,  who  came 
in  presently  with  a  smile  on  his  face;  and  I  answered 
ruefully :  "  The  less  said  the  better.  It  strikes  me  as 
the  beginning  of  the  final  catastrophe,  and  if  Wilkins 
substantiates  the  finding  of  the  match-box,  conviction 
must  follow.  What  is  the  usual  term  of  detention  for 
such  offenses  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  worry  about  that,"  was  the  cheerful 
answer.  "  Things  are  going  just  about  as  well  as  they 
could.  There'll  be  a  second  adjournment,  and  then  per- 
haps another." 

"  And  I  must  lie  here  indefinitely  while  my  crops  and 
cattle  go  to  ruin !  That  is  hardly  my  idea  of  things 
going  well;  and  if  you  are  jesting,  it  is  precious  poor 
humor,"  I  broke  in. 

Dixon  laughed.  "  I  am  not  jesting  in  the  least.  You 
seem  to  be  one  of  those  people,  Ormesby,  who  believe 
everything  will  go  to  ruin  unless  they  hold  control  them- 
selves. Now,  it  would  not  surprise  me,  if,  on  your 
return,  you  found  your  crops  and  cattle  flourishing. 
Further,  the  prosecution  hold  a  poor  case,  and  I  expect, 
when  my  turn  comes,  to  see  it  collapse.  There  isn't  so 
much  as  you  might  fancy  in  the  match-box  incident. 
The  men  who  burn  down  places  don't  generally  leave 
such  things  about.  I  have  had  a  talk  with  the  sergeant, 


LEADEN-FOOTED    JUSTICE  225 

and,  though  he's  closer  than  an  oyster,  I  begin  to  catch 
a  glimmering  of  his  intentions/' 

"  Why  can't  you  explain  them  then  ?  I'm  growing 
tired  of  hints,  and  feel  tempted  to  tell  my  mysterious 
well-wishers  to  go  to  the  devil  together,  and  leave  me 
in  peace,"  I  said. 

"  A  little  ill-humor  is  perhaps  excusable,"  was  the 
tranquil  answer.  "  It  is  wisest  not  to  prophesy  until 
one  is  sure,  you  know.  Now,  I'm  open,  as  I  said,  to  do 
my  best  for  you;  but  in  that  case  you  have  just  got  to 
let  me  set  about  it  independently.  Usual  or  otherwise,  it 
is  my  way." 

"  Then  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  let  you.  Your  reputa- 
tion should  be  a  guarantee,"  I  answered  moodily,  and 
Dixon  lifted  his  hat  from  the  table. 

"  Thanks ! "  he  said  dryly.  "  It  is,  in  fact,  the  only 
sensible  thing  you  can  do." 


CHAPTER  XXI 
AGAINST   TIME 

DIXON 's  prediction  proved  correct.  When  I  was  brought 
into  court  a  second  time  there  was  still  no  news  of  Wil- 
kins,  and  after  further  testimony  of  no  importance  the 
case  was  again  adjourned.  This  time,  however,  bail  was 
allowed,  and  Boone  and  Rancher  Gordon  stood  surety 
for  me.  The  latter  was  by  no  means  rich,  and  had,  like 
the  rest  of  us,  suffered  severe  losses  of  late.  Dixon 
was  the  first  to  greet  me  when  I  went  forth,  somewhat 
moodily,  a  free  man  for  the  time  being. 

"  You  don't  look  either  so  cheerful  or  grateful  as  you 
ought  to  be,"  he  said. 

"  You  are  wrong  in  one  respect  I  am  at  least  sin- 
cerely grateful  for  your  efforts." 

Dixon,  in  defiance  of  traditions,  smote  me  on  the 
shoulder.  "  Then  what's  the  matter  with  the  cheerful- 
ness ? " 

"  It  is  not  exactly  pleasant  to  have  a  charge  of  this 
description  hanging  over  one  indefinitely,  and  I  have  al- 
ready lost  time  that  can  never  be  made  up,"  I  said. 
"  Lane  will  no  doubt  produce  his  witness  when  he  con- 
siders it  opportune,  and  there  is  small  encouragement  to 
work  in  the  prospect  of  spending  a  lengthy  time  in 
jail  while  one's  possessions  go  to  ruin." 

"  You  think  Lane  had  a  hand  in  his  disappearance  ?  " 
Dixon  asked  thoughtfully;  and  when  I  nodded,  com- 
mented :  "  I  can't  quite  say  I  do.  My  reasons  are  not 
conclusive,  and  human  nature's  curious,  anyway;  but 
I'm  not  sure  that  Wilkins  will,  if  he  can  help  it,  turn 
up  at  all.  However,  in  the  meantime,  the  dinner  we're 
both  invited  to  will  put  heart  into  you." 

He  slipped  his  arm  through  mine,  and  led  me  into  the 
leading  hotel,  where,  as  it  was  drawing  near  the  time 

226 


AGAINST    TIME  227 

for  the  six  o'clock  supper,  every  man  turned  to  stare  at 
us  as  we  passed  through  the  crowded  bar  and  vestibule. 
I  was  making  for  the  general  dining-room  when  Dixon 
said :  "  Go  straight  ahead.  It  was  not  easy  to  manage, 
but  our  hosts  were  determined  to  do  the  thing  in  style." 

He  flung  a  door  open,  and  Boone  and  Gordon  greeted 
me  in  turn,  while  I  had  never  seen  a  menu  in  a  Western 
hostelry  to  compare  with  that  of  the  following  meal. 
Perhaps  Gordon  noticed  my  surprise,  for  he  said:  "  It 
was  Adams  who  fixed  up  all  this,  and  came  near  having  a 
scrimmage  with  the  hotelkeeper  about  the  wine.  '  This 
comes  from  California,  and  I  prefer  it  grown  in  France. 
Those  labels  aren't  much  use  to  any  man  with  a  sense 
'of  taste,'  says  he.  This  brand,  wherever  they  grew  it, 
is  quite  good  enough  for  me,  but  I'm  wondering  where 
Adams  learned  the  difference." 

Boone  smiled  at  me.  "  I  have,"  he  said,  "  a  good 
memory,  and  learned  a  number  of  useful  things  during 
a  somewhat  varied  experience." 

The  meal  was  over  and  the  blue  cigar  smoke  curled 
about  us,  when  I  turned  to  Gordon :  "  There  are  two 
things  I  should  like  to  ask  you.  First,  and  because  I 
know  what  losses  you  have  had  to  face,  how  you  raised 
the  money  to  liberate  me  in  the  generous  way  you  did ; 
and,  second,  how  many  acres  are  left  unsown  at  Crane 
Valley?" 

The  gaunt  rancher  fidgeted  before  he  answered: 
"  You  have  said  '  Thank  you  '  once,  and  I  guess  that's 
enough.  You're  so  blame  thin  in  the  hide,  and  touchy, 
Ormesby;  and  it  wasn't  I  who  did  it — at  least  not  much 
of  it." 

Dixon  appeared  to  be  amused,  and  when  Gordon 
glanced  appealingly  at  Boone  the  latter  only  smiled  and 
shook  his  head ;  seeing  which,  I  said  quietly :  "  In  short, 
you  sent  round  the  hat  ?  " 

There  was  no  doubt  that  the  chance  shot  had  told, 
for  Gordon  rose,  very  red  in  face,  to  his  feet.  "  That's 
just  what  I  didn't.  Don't  you  know  us  yet?  Send 
round  the  hat  when  the  boys  knew  you  were  innocent 
and  just  how  I  was  fixed!  No,  sir.  They  came  right  in, 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

each  bringing  his  roll  of  bills  with  him,  and  if  I'd  wanted 
twice  as  much  they'd  have  raised  it.  And  now  I've  given 
them  away — just  what  they  made  me  promise  not  to." 

I  had  anticipated  the  answer,  but  it  stirred  me,  never- 
theless, and  while  Gordon  stared  at  me  half  angry,  half 
ashamed  of  his  own  vehemence,  I  filled  a  wine-glass  to 
the  brim.  "  Here's  to  the  finest  men  and  stanchest  com- 
rades on  God's  green  earth,"  I  said,  looking  steadily  at 
him. 

It  was  Dixon  who  brought  us  down  to  our  normal 
level,  for,  setting  his  glass  down  empty,  he  commented : 
"  You're  not  overmodest,  Ormesby,  considering  that 
you  are  one  of  them.  Still,  I  think  you're  right.  People 
in  the  East  are  expecting  a  good  deal  from  you  and  the 
good  country  that  has  been  given  you." 

Gordon  joined  in  the  lawyer's  laugh,  but  I  broke  in: 
"  You  have  not  answered  my  second  question." 

"  Well ! "  and  the  rancher  smiled  mischievously. 
"  You're  so  mighty  particular  that  I  don't  know  what 
to  say.  Still,  things  looked  pretty  tolerable  last  time  I 
was  down  to  Crane  Valley." 

Dixon  accompanied  us  to  the  station  when  it  was 
time  to  catch  the  train,  and  as  he  stood  on  the  car  plat- 
form said  to  me :  "  It's  probably  no  use  to  tell  you  not 
to  worry,  but  I'd  sit  tight  in  my  saddle  and  think  as 
little  as  possible  about  this  trouble  if  I  were  you." 

He  dropped  lightly  from  the  platform,  cigar  in  hand, 
as  the  train  pulled  out,  and,  though  most  unlike  the  tra- 
ditional lawyer  in  speech  or  agility,  left  me  with  a  reas- 
suring confidence  in  his  skill. 

It  was  early  morning  when  I  rode  alone  towards 
Crane  Valley,  feeling,  in  spite  of  Dixon's  good  advice, 
distinctly  anxious.  It  is  true  that  Thorn  and  Steel  were 
both  energetic,  but  no  man  can  drive  two  teams  at  once, 
and  it  was  my  impression  that,  having  more  at  stake,  I 
could  do  considerably  more  in  person  than  either  of 
them.  I  had  small  comfort  in  the  reflection  that,  after 
all,  the  question  how  much  had  been  accomplished  was 
immaterial,  because  there  was  little  use  in  sowing  where, 
while  I  lay  in  jail,  an  enemy  might  reap,  and  I  urged 


AGAINST    TIME  229 

my  horse  when  I  drew  near  the  hollow  in  which  the 
homestead  lay,  and  then  pulled  him  up  with  a  jerk. 
Gordon  had  said  things  had  been  going  tolerably  well, 
but  this  proved  a  very  inadequate  description.  The 
plowed  land  had  all  been  harrowed  and  sown,  and  be- 
yond it  lay  the  shattered  clods  of  fresh  breaking,  where 
I  guessed  oats  had  been  sown  under  the  sod  newly  torn 
from  the  virgin  prairie.  Ten  men  of  greater  endurance 
could  not  have  accomplished  so  much,  and  I  sat  still, 
humbled  and  very  grateful,  with  eyes  that  grew  momen- 
tarily dim,  fixed  on  the  wide  stretch  of  black  soil  steam- 
ing under  the  morning  sun.  It  seemed  as  though  a 
beneficent  genie  had  been  working  for  my  deliverance 
while  I  lay,  almost  despairing,  in  the  grip  of  the  law. 

Then  Steel,  springing  out  from  the  door  of  the  sod- 
house,  came  up  at  a  run,  with  Thorn  behind  him.  It 
was  strangely  pleasant  to  see  the  elation  in  their  hon- 
est faces,  and  Steel's  shout  of  delight  sent  a  thrill 
through  me. 

"  This  is  the  best  sight  I've  seen  since  you  left  us," 
he  panted,  wringing  my  hand.  "  Thorn's  that  full  up 
with  satisfaction  he  can't  even  run.  We  knew  Dixon 
and  Adams  would  see  you  through  between  them." 

"  Has  Dixon  been  down  here  ?  "  I  asked,  for  the  law- 
yer had  not  told  me  so;  and  Thorn,  who  came  up, 
gasped :  "  Oh,  yes ;  and  a  Winnipeg  man  he  sent  down 
went  round  with  Adams  'most  everywhere.  Say,  did 
you  strike  Niven  for  compensation  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered,  a  trifle  ruefully.  "  I  am  only 
free  on  bail,  and  not  acquitted  yet." 

Steel's  jaw  dropped,  and  his  dismay  would  have  been 
ludicrous  had  it  not  betrayed  his  whole-hearted  friend- 
ship, while  Thorn's  burst  of  sulphurous  language  was  an 
even  more  convincing  testimony.  Again  I  felt  a  curious 
humility,  and  something  enlarged  in  my  throat  as  I 
looked  down  at  them. 

"  If  I  can't  stand  Lane  off  with  you  two  and  the  rest 
behind  me  I  shall  deserve  all  I  get,  and  we  must  hope 
for  the  best,"  I  said.  "  But  if  you  could  handle  three 
teams  each  you  could  not  have  done  all  this." 


230     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Thorn,  who  was  not  usually  vociferous  in  expressing 
his  sentiments,  appeared  glad  of  this  diversion,  and, 
after  a  glance  at  the  plowed  land,  strove  to  smile  hu- 
morously. "  Think  you  could  have  done  it  any  better 
yourself?  " 

"  It's  a  fair  hit,"  I  answered.  "  You  know  exactly 
how  much  I  can  do.  Let  me  down  easily.  How  did 
you  manage  it?  " 

"  We  didn't  manage  anything,"  said  Thorn.  "  No, 
sir.  The  boys,  they  did  it  all.  Everybody  came  or  sent 
a  hired  man,  and  blame  quaint  plowing  some  of  them 
cow-chasers  done.  Put  up  a  dollar  sweepstake  and  ran 
races  with  the  harrows,  they  did,  and  Steel  talked  him- 
self purple  before  he  stopped  them.  They've  busted  the 
gang-plow,  and  one  said  he  ought  to  have  been  a  den- 
tist by  the  way  he  pulled  out  the  cultivator  teeth." 

"  And  where  did  you  come  in  ? "  I  asked,  and  duly 
noted  the  effort  it  cost  Steel  to  follow  his  comrade's 
lead. 

"  We  just  lay  back  and  turned  the  good  advice  on," 
he  said.  "  Tom,  he  led  the  prayer  meeting  when,  after 
supper,  they  turned  loose  on  Lane.  Oh,  yes,  we  rode 
in  and  out  for  provisions.  Sally,  she  would  have  the 
best  in  the  settlement,  and  sat  up  all  night  cooking. 
Don't  know  how  you'll  feel  when  you  see  the  grocery 
bill." 

"I  can  tell  you  now,"  I  said.  "I  feel  that  there's 
nothing  in  the  whole  Dominion  too  good  for  them — or 
you — and  I'd  be  glad,  if  necessary,  to  sell  my  shirt  to 
pay  the  bill." 

We  went  on  to  the  house  together,  and  Sally,  hiding 
her  disappointment,  plunged  with  very  kindly  intentions 
into  a  spirited  description  of  her  visitors'  feats.  "  That's 
a  testimonial,"  she  said,  pointing  through  the  window  to 
an  appalling  pile  of  empty  tins.  "  I  just  had  to  get  them 
when  some  of  the  boys  brought  their  own  provisions  in. 
I  set  one  of  them  peeling  potatoes  all  night  to  convince 
him." 

"  Peeling  potatoes  ?  "  I  interpolated ;  and  Steel,  smil- 
ing wickedly,  furnished  the  explanation. 


AGAINST    TIME 

"  Sally  was  busy  in  the  shed  when  he  came  along,  and 
wanted  to  help  her  considerable.  '  Feel  like  peeling  half 
a  sackful  ? '  says  Sally ;  and  when  the  fool  stockman 
allowed  he'd  like  it  better  than  anything,  says  she,  '  Then, 
as  I'm  tired,  you  can/  She  just  left  him  with  it,  while 
she  talked  to  the  other  man;  but  there  was  grit  in  him, 
and  he  peeled  away  until  morning.  Wanted  to  marry 
her,  too,  he  did." 

Sally's  glance  foreboded  future  tribulation  for  the 
speaker,  and  Thorn  frowned;  but  Steel,  disregarding  it, 
concluded  gravely :  "  Dessay  he  might  have  done  it, 
but  he  heard  Sally  turn  loose  on  me  one  day,  and  took 
warning." 

In  spite  of  the  shadow  hanging  over  me,  it  was  good 
to  be  at  home,  and  perhaps  the  very  uncertainty  as  to  its 
duration  made  the  somewhat  sordid  struggle  of  our  life 
at  Crane  Valley  almost  attractive.  Lane,  it  seemed  only 
too  probable,  would  crush  us  in  the  end,  but  there  was 
satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  every  hour's  work  well 
done  would  help  us  to  prolong  our  resistance.  So  the 
days  of  effort  slipped  by  until  I  received  a  notice  to 
present  myself  at  court  on  a  specified  date,  and,  there 
being  much  to  do,  I  delayed  my  departure  until  the  last 
day.  Steel  insisted  on  accompanying  me  to  the  railroad, 
but  protested  against  the  time  of  starting.  "  One  might 
fancy  you  were  fond  of  jail  by  the  hurry  you're  in  to 
get  back  to  it,"  he  said.  "We  could  catch  the  cars  if 
we  left  hours  later." 

"  It's  as  well  to  be  on  the  right  side,"  I  said ;  for  I 
had  been  in  a  state  of  nervous  impatience  all  day.  Wil- 
kins  had  been  found,  and  now  that  a  decision  appeared 
certain,  I  grew  feverishly  anxious  to  learn  the  best — or 
the  worst. 

It  was  a  day  in  early  summer  when  we  set  out  and 
pushed  on  at  a  good  pace,  though  already  the  sun  shone 
hot.  Steel,  indeed,  suggested  there  was  no  need  for 
haste,  but  after  checking  my  beast  a  little,  I  shot  ahead 
again.  "  It  might  be  your  wedding  you  were  going  to !  " 
he  said. 

We  had  covered  part  of  the  distance  left  to  traverse 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

on  the  second  day  when  a  freighter's  lumbering  ox-team 
crawled  out  of  a  ravine,  and  Steel  pulled  up  beside  him. 
"  I  don't  know  if  you're  mailing  anything  East,  but 
you're  late  if  you  are,"  said  the  teamster. 

"  Then  there's  something  wrong  with  the  sun,"  said 
Steel.  "  If  he's  keeping  his  time  bill  we're  most  two 
hours  too  soon." 

"  You  would  have  been  last  week,"  answered  the 
other;  while  a  sudden  chill  struck  through  me  as  I  re- 
membered the  promised  acceleration  of  the  transconti- 
nental express.  "  They've  improved  the  track  in  the 
Selkirks  sooner  than  they  expected,  and  they're  rushing 
the  Atlantic  hummer  through  on  the  new  schedule  this 
month  instead  of  next." 

Before  he  concluded  I  had  snatched  out  my  watch 
and  simultaneously  toucned  the  beast  with  the  spurs. 
The  next  moment  the  timepiece  was  swinging  against 
my  belt,  and,  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  willows  before  me, 
I  was  plunging  at  a  reckless  gallop  down  the  side  of  the 
ravine.  The  horse  was  young  and  resented  the  punish- 
ment, but  I  had  no  desire  to  hold  him,  and  the  further 
he  felt  inclined  to  bolt  the  better  it  would  please  me. 
So  we  smashed  through  the  thinner  willows,  and  some- 
how reeled  down  an  almost  precipitous  slope,  reckless  of 
the  fact  that  there  was  a  creek  at  the  bottom,  while  the 
trail  wound  round  towards  a  bridge,  until  the  hoofs 
sank  into  the  soft  ground,  and  we  came  floundering 
towards  the  tall  growth  by  the  water's  edge.  There  the 
spurs  went  in  again,  and  the  beast,  which  knew  nothing 
of  jumping,  rather  rushed  than  launched  itself  at  the 
creek.  There  was  a  splash  and  a  flounder,  a  fountain  of 
mire  and  water  shot  up,  and  green  withes  parted  before 
me  as  we  charged  through  the  willows  on  the  farther 
bank.  The  slope  was  soft  and  steep  beneath  the  climb- 
ing birches,  and  by  the  time  we  were  half-  way  up  the 
beast  had  relinquished  all  desire  to  bolt;  but  my  watch 
showed  me  that  go  he  must,  and  it  was  without  pity  I 
drove  him  at  the  declivity.  Meantime,  a  thud  of  hoofs 
followed  us,  and  when,  racing  south  across  the  levels,  we 


AGAINST    TIME  233 

had  left  the  ravine  two  miles  behind,  Steel  came  up 
breathless. 

"  Can  you  do  it,  Harry  ?  "  he  panted. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,"  I  shouted.  "  Still,  if  I  kill  the  horse 
under  me,  I'm  going  to  try.  He's  carrying  a  good  many 
poor  men's  money." 

A  hurried  calculation  had  proved  conclusively  that  if 
the  train  were  punctual  I  should  miss  it  by  more  than 
an  hour,  and  there  was,  of  course,  not  another  until  the 
following  day.  Still,  it  was  a  long  climb  from  Van- 
couver City  up  through  the  mountains  of  British  Colum- 
bia to  the  Kicking  Horse  Pass  in  the  Rockies,  and  there 
then  remained  a  wide  breadth  of  prairie  for  the  mam- 
moth locomotives  to  traverse.  Sometimes,  when  the 
load  was  heavy,  they  lost  an  hour  or  two  on  the  wild 
up-grade  through  the  canons.  I  was  ignorant  of  legal 
procedure,  but  greatly  feared  that  my  non-appearance 
in  the  court  would  entail  the  forfeiture  of  the  sureties, 
and,  as  the  session  was  near  an  end,  postpone  the  trial 
indefinitely.  Therefore  the  train  must  be  caught  if  it 
were  in  the  power  of  horseflesh  to  accomplish  it,  and  I 
settled  myself  to  ride  as  for  my  life. 

"Wouldn't  the  Port  Arthur  freight  do?"  shouted 
Steel. 

"  No,"  I  answered.  "  It's  the  Atlantic  Express  or 
nothing!  You  can  pick  those  things  up  on  your  home- 
ward journey." 

Without  checking  the  beast  I  managed  to  loosen  the 
valise  strapped  before  me,  and  hurled  it  down  upon  the 
prairie.  It  contained  all  I  possessed  in  the  shape  of 
civilized  apparel  except  what  I  rode  in,  and  that  was 
mired  all  over  from  the  flounder  through  the  creek;  but 
the  horse  already  carried  weight  enough.  It  was  now 
blazing  noon,  and  in  the  prairie  summer  the  sun  is 
fiercely  hot.  Here  and  there  the  bitter  dust  of  alkali 
rolled  across  the  waste,  crusting  our  dripping  faces  and 
the  coats  of  the  lathered  beasts.  My  eyelashes  grew 
foul  and  heavy,  blurring  my  vision,  so  that  it  was  but 
dimly  I  saw  the  endless  levels  crawl  up  from  the  far 


234     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

horizon.  A  speck  far  down  in  the  distance  grew  into 
the  altitude  of  a  garden  plant,  and,  knowing  what  it 
must  be,  I  pressed  my  heels  home  fiercely,  waiting  for 
what  seemed  hours  until  it  should  increase  into  a  wind- 
dwarfed  tree. 

It  passed.  There  was  nothing  but  the  dancing  heat 
to  break  the  great  monotony  of  grass,  while  the  gray 
streak  where  it  cut  the  sky-line  rolled  steadily  back  in 
mockery  of  our  efforts  to  reach  it.  Yet  I  was  soaked  in 
perspiration,  and  Steel  was  alkali  white.  There  was  a 
steady  trickle  into  my  eyes,  and  the  taste  of  salt  in  my 
mouth,  while  the  drumming  of  hoofs  rose  with  a  stac- 
cato thud-thud,  like  distant  rifle  fire,  and  the  springy 
rush  of  the  beasts  beneath  us  showed  how  fast  we  were 
traveling.  Steel  shook  his  head  as  we  raced  up  a  rise 
which  had  tantalized  me  long,  stirrup  to  stirrup  and 
neck  to  neck,  while  the  clots  from  the  dripping  bits 
drove  past  like  flakes  of  wind-whirled  snow. 

"  If  you  want  to  get  there,  Ormesby,  this  won't  do," 
he  said.  "  You'd  break  the  heart  of  the  toughest  beast 
inside  another  hour." 

"  The  need  would  justify  a  worse  loss,"  I  panted, 
snatching  out  my  watch.  "  We  have  pulled  up  thirty 
minutes,  but  are  horribly  behind  still.  Men  who  can't 
afford  to  lose  it  have  put  up  the  stakes  I  am  riding 
for." 

Steel  made  a  gesture  of  comprehension,  but  once  more 
shook  his  head.  "  My  beast's  the  better,  and  he's  carry- 
ing a  lighter  weight,  but  he'll  never  last  at  the  pace 
we're  making.  Save  your  own  a  little,  and  when  he's 
dead  beat  I'll  let  up  and  change  with  you.  I'll  hang 
on  in  the  meantime  in  case  one  of  them  comes  to  grief 
over  a  badger-hole.  It's  your  one  chance  if  you're  bent 
on  getting  through." 

I  would  at  that  moment  have  gladly  sold  the  rest  of 
my  life  for  the  certainty  of  catching  the  train.  To  give 
my  enemy  no  advantage  was  a  great  thing,  and  I  felt 
that  absence  when  my  name  was  called  would  preju- 
dice the  most  confiding  against  me.  But  that  was,  after 
all,  a  trifle  compared  with  what  I  owed  the  men  who 


AGAINST    TIME  235 

had  probably  stripped  themselves  of  necessities  to  help 
me,  and  I  felt  that  if  I  failed  them  a  shame  which  could 
never  be  dissipated  would  follow  me.  Nevertheless, 
Steel's  advice  was  sound,  and  I  tightened  my  grip  on 
the  bridle  with  a  smothered  imprecation.  Then  my  heart 
grew  heavier,  for  the  horse  needed  no  pulling,  and  re- 
sponded with  an  ominous  alacrity. 

We  were  still  leagues  from  the  railroad,  and  the 
miles  of  grasses  flitted  towards  us  ever  more  slowly. 
The  last  clump  of  birches  took  half  an  hour  to  raise,  and 
the  willows  which  fled  behind  us  had  been  five  long 
minutes  taking  the  shape  of  trees.  My  watch  was 
clenched  in  one  hand,  and,  while  bluff  and  ravine 
crawled,  its  fingers  raced  around  the  dial  with  an  ago- 
nizing rapidity  in  testimony  of  the  feebleness  of  flesh  and 
blood  when  pitted  against  steel  and  steam.  The  clang- 
ing cars  had  swept  clear  of  the  foothills  long  ago,  and 
the  track  ran  straight  and  level  across  the  prairie,  a 
smooth  empty  road  for  the  Accelerated  to  save  time  on 
in  its  race  between  the  Pacific  and  the  Laurentian  water- 
way. When  the  prairie  grew  blurred  before  us,  as  it 
sometimes  did,  I  could  see  instead  the  two  huge  loco- 
motives veiled  in  dust  and  smoke  thundering  with  a  piti- 
less swiftness  down  the  long  converging  rails,  while  the 
drumming  of  hoofs  changed  into  the  roar  of  wheels 
whose  speed  would  brand  me  with  dishonor.  Yet  we 
were  doing  all  that  man  or  beast  could  do,  and  at  last 
a  faint  ray  of  hope  and  a  new  dismay  came  upon  me. 
The  difference  in  time  had  further  lessened,  but  my  horse 
was  failing. 

"  Go  on  as  you're  going,"  shouted  Steel,  edging  his 
whitened  beast  nearer.  "  I'm  riding  a  stone  lighter, 
and  this  beast  has  another  hour's  work  left  in  him." 

I  went  on,  the  horse  growing  more  and  more  feeble 
and  blundering  in  his  stride,  until  at  last,  when  it  was 
a  case  of  dismount  or  do  murder,  I  dropped  stiffly  from 
the  saddle.  Steel  was  down  in  a  second,  and  in  another 
my  jacket  and  vest  were  off,  and  I  laid  my  foot  to  the 
stirrup  in  white  shirt  and  trousers,  with  a  handkerchief 
knotted  around  my  waist. 


236    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

!<  You'll  startle  the  folks  in  Empress,  and  you  can't 
strip  off  much  more,"  said  Steel. 

"  I'd  ride  into  the  depot  naked  sooner  than  rob  the 
boys,"  I  said;  and  was  mounted  before  my  comrade 
could  reopen  his  mouth.  When  he  did  so  his  "  Good 
luck !  "  sounded  already  faint  and  far  away. 

Steel's  horse  had  more  life  left  in  him — one  could  feel 
it  in  his  stride;  but  now  that  there  was  some  hope  of 
success  I  rode  with  more  caution,  sparing  him  up  the 
low  rises,  and  trying,  so  far  as  one  might  guess  it,  to 
keep  within  a  very  small  margin  of  his  utmost  strength. 
So  we  pressed  on  until  all  the  prairie  grew  dim  to  me, 
and  my  only  distinct  sensation  was  the  rush  of  the  cool 
wind.  Then  a  flitting  birch  bluff  roused  me  once  more  to 
watch,  and  minute  by  minute  I  strained  my  eyes  for  the 
first  glimpse  of  the  tall  poles  heralding  the  railroad 
track.  At  last  a  row  of  what  looked  like  matches 
streaked  the  horizon,  and  grew  in  size  until  something 
that  rose  and  fell  with  the  heave  of  the  prairie  sea  be- 
came visible  beneath.  Then,  as  we  topped  one  of  its 
grassy  waves,  a  cluster  of  distant  cubes  loomed  up,  and 
a  glance  at  the  watch's  racing  fingers  warned  me  that  I 
was  already  behind  the  time  that  the  train  was  due  to 
reach  the  settlement.  It  might  have  passed;  and  a  new 
torture  was  added  until,  when  in  an  agony  of  suspense, 
I  strained  my  eyes  towards  the  west,  a  streak  of  white- 
ness crept  out  of  the  horizon. 

The  run  of  the  Accelerated  was  at  that  time  regarded 
as  a  national  exploit,  forming,  as  it  did,  part  of  a  new 
link  binding  Japan  and  London — the  East  and  the  West ; 
and  I  knew  the  conductor  would  hardly  have  waited  for 
one  of  his  own  directors.  The  white  streak  rapidly  grew 
larger;  something  sparkled  beneath  it,  and  there  was 
flash  of  twinkling  glass  through  the  dust  and  steam.  I 
fixed  my  eyes  on  the  station,  and  taxed  every  aching 
sinew  in  hand  and  heel,  for  the  weakening  beast  must 
bring  me  there  in  time  or  die.  A  smoke  cloud,  with 
bright  patches  beneath  it,  rolled  up  to  the  station  when 
I  was  nearly  half  a  mile  away.  The  horse  was  reeling 
under  me,  the  power  had  gone  out  of  the  leaden  hands 


AGAINST    TIME  237 

on  switch  and  bridle,  and — for  the  tension  had  pro- 
duced a  vertigo — my  sight  was  almost  gone. 

Hearing,  however,  still  remained,  and  shouts  of  en- 
couragement reached  me,  while  I  could  dimly  see  the  sta- 
tion close  ahead,  and  shapeless  figures  apparently  waving 
hats  and  arms.  The  clang  of  a  big  bell  rang  in  my 
ears,  the  twin  locomotives  snorted,  and  I  fell  from  the 
saddle,  sprang  towards  the  track,  and  clutched  at  the 
sliding  rails  of  a  ear  platform.  I  missed  them ;  the  car, 
swaying  giddily,  so  it  seemed,  rolled  past,  and  I  hurled 
myself  bodily  at  the  next  platform.  Somebody  clutched 
my  shoulder  and  dragged  me  up,  and  I  fell  with  a 
heavy  crash  against  the  door  of  a  vestibule. 

"  Just  in  time,"  said  a  man  in  uniform.  "  Say,  are 
you  doing  this  for  a  wager,  or  are  some  mad  cow-chasers 
after  you?" 


CHAPTER    XXII 
BAD  TIDINGS 

THE  dust  was  rolling  about  the  cars  and  the  gaunt 
poles  whirled  past  before  I  could  recover  breath  to 
answer  the  astonished  conductor.  Then  it  was  with  a 
gasp  I  said:  "Won't  you  get  me  a  little  water?" 

The  man  vanished,  and  I  sat  still  vacantly  noticing  how 
the  prairie  reeled  behind  me  until  the  door  slid  open  and 
he  returned  with  a  tin  vessel  and  a  group  of  curious  pas- 
sengers behind  him.  A  piece  of  ice  floated  in  the  former, 
and  a  man  held  out  a  flask.  "  I  guess  it  won't  hurt  him, 
adulterated  some,"  he  said. 

Never  before  had  I  tasted  so  delicious  a  draught. 
Hours  of  anxiety  and  effort  under  a  blazing  sun  had 
parched  and  fouled  my  lips,  and  my  throat  was  dry  as 
unslaked  lime.  The  tin  vessel  was  empty  when  I  handed 
it  back,  and  the  railroad  official  looked  astonished  as  he 
turned  it  upside  down  for  the  spectators'  information. 
"  I  guess  a  locomotive  tank  would  hardly  quench  that 
thirst  of  yours,"  he  said. 

"  Thanks.  I'll  get  up.  It  was  not  for  amusement  I 
boarded  your  train  as  I  did,"  I  said,  and  the  rest  opened 
a  passage  for  me  into  the  long  Colonist  car.  There  was 
a  mirror  above  the  basins  in  the  vestibule,  and  a  glance 
into  it  explained  their  curiosity.  The  white  shirt  had 
burst  in  places ;  the  grime  of  alkali  had  caked  on  my 
face,  leaving  only  paler  circles  about  the  eyes.  Hard- 
ened mire  crusted  the  rest  of  my  apparel,  and  each  move- 
ment made  it  evident  to  me  that  portions  of  the  epidermis 
had  been  abraded  from  me. 

"  It's  not  my  business  how  passengers  board  these 
cars,  so  long  as  they're  tolerably  decent,  and  can  pay 
their  fare,"  observed  the  conductor.  "  Still,  although 
we're  not  particular,  we've  got  to  dress  you  a  little  be- 


BAD    TIDINGS  239 

tween  us;  and  it  mightn't  be  too  much  to  ask  what 
brought  you  here  in  such  an  outfit  ?  " 

It  was  evident  that  the  others  were  waiting  to  ask  the 
same  question,  and  I  answered  diplomatically :  "  I  have 
money  enough  to  take  me  to  Empress  at  Colonist  fare, 
and  was  half  way  to  the  depot  to  catch  the  cars  on  the 
old  schedule  before  I  discovered  you  had  commenced 
the  accelerated  service.  Then  I  flung  off  every  ounce  of 
weight  that  might  lose  me  the  race." 

"  You  must  have  had  mighty  important  business," 
somebody  said;  and  the  door  at  the  opposite  end  opened 
as  I  answered  dryly :  "  I  certainly  had." 

"Hallo!  Great  Columbus!  Is  that  you,  Ormesby?" 
a  voice  which  seemed  familiar  said ;  and,  turning  angrily, 
I  saw  a  storekeeper  with  whom  I  had  dealt  staring  at 
me  in  bewilderment. 

"  Ormesby !  "  the  name  was  repeated  by  several  pas- 
sengers, and  I  read  sudden  suspicion  in  some  of  the 
faces,  and  sympathy  in  the  rest,  while  one  of  them,  with 
Western  frankness,  asked :  "  You're  the  Rancher 
Ormesby  we've  been  reading  about  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  making  a  virtue  of  necessity.  "  I 
am  on  my  way  to  surrender  for  trial,  and  redeem  my  bail. 
Now  you  can  understand  my  hurry." 

Several  of  the  passengers  nodded,  and  the  dealer  said : 
"  It's  tolerably  plain  you  can't  go  like  that ;  they're  that 
proud  of  themselves  in  Empress  they'd  lock  you  up.  So 
I'll  try  to  find  you  something  in  my  gripsack.  Still, 
while  I  concluded  you  never  done  the  thing,  I'd  like  to 
hear  you  say  straight  off  you  know  nothing  about  the 
burning  of  Gaspard's  Trail." 

"  Then  listen  a  second,"  I  answered.  "  You  have  my 
word  for  it,  that  I  know  no  more  what  caused  the  fire 
than  you  do.  You  will  be  able  to  read  my  defense  in 
the  papers,  and  I  need  not  go  into  it  here." 

;<  That's  enough  for  me,"  was  the  answer.  "  Now, 
gentlemen,  if  you  have  got  anything  you  can  lend  my 
friend  here  in  your  valises,  I'll  guarantee  they're  either 
replaced  or  returned.  Some  of  you  know  me,  and  here's 
my  business  card." 


240     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

It  may  be  curious,  but  I  saw  that  most  of  those  pres- 
ent, and  they  were  all  apparently  from  parts  of  the 
prairie,  fully  credited  my  statement,  and  one  voiced  the 
sentiments  of  the  rest  when  he  said :  "  I'll  do  the  best 
I  can.  If  Mr.  Ormesby  had  played  the  fire-bug,  he 
wouldn't  be  so  mighty  anxious  to  get  back  to  court 
again." 

The  position  was  humiliating,  but  no  choice  was  left 
me.  I  must  either  accept  the  willing  offers  or  enter 
Empress  half  naked,  and  accordingly  I  made  a  hasty 
selection  among  the  garments  thrust  upon  me.  Twenty 
minutes  spent  in  the  lavatory,  with  the  colored  porter's 
assistance,  produced  a  comforting  change,  and  when  I 
returned  to  the  car,  one  of  the  most  generous  lenders 
surveyed  me  with  pride  as  well  as  approval. 

"  You  do  us  credit,  Rancher,  and  you  needn't  worry 
about  the  thanks.  We've  no  use  for  them,"  he  said. 
"  Hope  you'll  get  off ;  but  if  you  are  sent  up  for  burning 
down  that  place,  I'll  be  proud  of  having  helped  to  outfit 
a  famous  man." 

Perhaps  my  face  was  ludicrous  with  its  mingled  ex- 
pressions of  gratitude  and  disgust  at  this  naive  an- 
nouncement, for  a  general  laugh  went  up  which  I  finally 
joined  in,  and  that  hoarse  merriment  gave  me  the  free- 
dom of  the  Colonist  car.  Rude  burlesque  is  interspersed 
amid  many  a  tragedy,  and  I  had  seen  much  worse 
situations  saved  by  the  grace  of  even  coarse  humor. 
Thereafter  no  personal  questions  were  asked,  and  most 
of  my  fellow-travelers  treated  me  with  a  delicacy  of 
consideration  which  is  much  less  uncommon  than  one 
might  suppose  among  the  plain,  hard-handed  men  who 
wrest  a  living  out  of  the  prairie. 

Night  had  closed  in  some  time  earlier  when  I  strolled 
out  across  the  platform  of  the  car  and  leaned  upon  the 
rails  of  the  first-class  before  it.  Tired  physically  as  I 
was,  the  nervous  restlessness  which  followed  the  mental 
strain  would,  I  think,  have  held  me  wakeful,  even  if 
there  had  been  anything  more  than  a  bare  shelf  of 
polished  maple,  which  finds  out  every  aching  bone,  to 
sleep  on.  This,  however,  was  not  the  case,  for  those 


BAD    TIDINGS 

who  travel  Colonist  must  bring  their  own  bedding,  or 
do  without  it.  It  was  a  glorious  summer  night,  still  and 
soft,  and  effulgent  with  the  radiance  of  the  full  moon 
which  hung  low  above  the  prairie,  while  the  sensation 
of  the  swift  travel  was  bracing. 

There  was  no  doubt  that  the  Accelerated  was  making 
up  lost  time;  and  the  lurching,  clanking,  pounding,  roar 
of  flying  wheels,  and  panting  of  mammonth  engines  both 
soothed  and  exhilarated  me.  They  were  in  one  sense 
prosaic  and  commonplace  sounds,  but — so  it  seemed  to 
me  that  night — in  another  a  testimony  to  man's  dominion 
over  not  only  plant  and  beast  upon  the  face  of  the  earth, 
but  also  the  primeval  forces  which  move  the  universe. 
Further,  the  diapason  of  the  great  drivers  and  Titanic 
snorting,  rising  and  falling  rhythmically  amid  the  pul- 
sating din,  broke  through  the  prairie's  silence  as  it  were 
a  triumphant  hymn  of  struggle  and  effort,  and  toil  all- 
conquering,  as  dropping  the  leagues  behind  it  the  long 
train  roared  on.  I  knew  something  of  the  cost,  paid  in 
the  sweat  of  tremendous  effort,  and  part  in  blood  and 
agony,  of  the  smooth  road  along  which  the  great  ma- 
chines raced  across  the  continent. 

Perhaps  I  was  overstrung,  and  accordingly  fanciful; 
but  I  gathered  fresh  courage,  which  was,  indeed,  badly 
needed,  and  I  had  grown  partly  reassured  and  tranquil, 
when  the  door  creaked  behind  me  and  there  was  a  light 
step  on  the  platform.  Then,  turning  suddenly,  I  found 
myself  within  a  foot  of  Lucille  Haldane.  She  was  bare- 
headed. The  moon  shone  on  her  face,  which,  as  I  had 
dreamed  of  it,  looked  at  once  ethereal  and  very  human 
under  the  silvery  light.  This,  at  least,  was  not  a  fancy 
born  of  overtaxed  nerves,  for  while  given  to  heartsome 
merriment,  daring,  and  occasionally  imperious,  there  was 
a  large  share  of  the  spiritual  in  the  character  of  the 
girl.  Shrewd,  she  certainly  was,  yet  wholly  fresh  and 
innocent,  and  at  times  I  had  seen  depths  of  pity  and 
sympathy  which  it  seemed  were  not  wholly  earthly  in 
her  eyes.  When  one  can  name  and  number  all  the 
mysterious  forces  that  rule  the  heart  or  brain  of  man,  it 
may  be  possible  to  tell  why,  when  Beatrice  Haldane's 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

idealized  image  was  ever  before  me,  I  would  have  done 
more  for  her  sister  than  for  any  living  woman. 

We  were  both  a  little  surprised  at  the  encounter,  and 
I  fancied  I  had  seen  a  momentary  shrinking  from  me  in 
the  eyes  of  the  girl.  This  at  once  furnished  cause  for 
wonder,  and  hurt  me.  She  had  shown  no  shrinking  at 
our  last  meeting. 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  meet  you  when  I  came  out  for 
the  sake  of  coolness.  Are  you  going  East  ?  "  I  said. 

Lucille  Haldane  was  usually  frank  in  speech,  but  she 
now  appeared  to  be  perplexed  by,  and  almost  to  resent, 
the  question.  "  Yes.  I  have  some  business  which  can- 
not be  neglected  in  that  direction,"  she  said. 

"  Is  Miss  Haldane  or  your  father  on  board  the  train?  " 
I  asked,  and  Lucille  seemed  to  hesitate  before  she  an- 
swered : 

"  No.  My  father  is  in  Winnipeg,  and  Beatrice  has 
gone  to  Montreal;  but  Mrs.  Hansen,  our  housekeeper, 
is  here  with  me." 

I  was  partly,  but  not  altogether,  relieved  by  this  infor- 
mation. It  was  no  doubt  foolish,  but  I  had  been  at 
first  afraid  that  every  one  of  my  friends  from  Bonaven- 
ture  had  seen  in  what  manner  I  boarded  the  train.  I 
would  have  given  a  good  deal  to  discover  whether  Lu- 
cille had  witnessed  the  spectacle,  but  I  did  not  quite  see 
how  to  acquire  the  knowledge. 

"  It  must  be  important  business  which  takes  you  East 
alone,"  I  said  idly — to  gain  time  in  which  to  frame  a 
more  leading  question ;  but  the  words  had  a  somewhat 
startling  effect.  A  trace  of  indignation  or  confusion 
became  visible  in  the  girl's  face  as  she  answered :  "  I 
have  already  told  you  it  is  business  which  cannot  be 
neglected;  and  if  you  desire  any  further  information  I 
fear  I  cannot  give  it  to  you.  Now,  suppose  we  reverse 
the  positions.  What  has  made  you  so  unusually  inquisi- 
tive to-night,  Mr.  Ormesby  ?  " 

The  positions  were  reversed  with  a  vengeance,  some- 
what to  my  disgust.  I  had  neither  right  nor  desire  to 
pry  into  Lucille  Haldane's  affairs,  and  yet  felt  fever- 
ishly anxious  to  discover  how  much  or  how  little  she 


BAD    TIDINGS  243 

had  seen  at  the  station.  It  was  no  use  to  reason  with 
myself  that  this  was  of  no  importance,  for  the  fact 
remained. 

"  I  must  apologize  if  I  seemed  inquisitive,"  I  said. 
"  It  would  have  been  impertinence,  but  I  will  make  a 
bargain  with  you.  If  you  will  tell  me  whether  you 
boarded  the  cars  immediately  the  train  came  in,  and 
what  seat  you  took,  I  will  tell  you  the  cause  of  it." 

This  struck  me  as  a  clever  maneuver,  for  if,  as  I 
hoped,  she  had  seen  nothing,  the  story  would  certainly 
reach  Bonaventure,  and  it  seemed  much  better  that  she 
should  hear  it  first,  and  carefully  toned  down,  from  my 
own  lips.  Lucille  Haldane's  face  cleared  instantane- 
ously, and  there  was  a  note  of  relief  in  her  laugh. 

"  Must  you  always  make  a  bargain  ?  You  remember 
the  last,"  but  here  she  broke  off  suddenly  and  favored 
me  with  a  wholly  sympathetic  glance.  "  I  did  not  mean 
to  recall  that  unfortunate  night.  You  should  come  to 
the  point  always,  for  you  are  not  brilliant  in  diplomacy, 
and  shall  have  without  a  price  the  information  you  so 
evidently  desire.  I  was  standing  on  the  car  platform 
when  you  rode  up  to  the  station." 

We  are  only  mortal,  and  I  fear  I  ground  one  heel, 
perhaps  audibly,  but  certainly  viciously,  into  the  boards 
beneath  me.  Still,  I  am  certain  that  my  lips  did  not 
open.  Nevertheless,  I  was  puzzled  by  the  sparkle  in 
Lucille  Haldane's  eyes  which  the  radiant  moonlight  em- 
phasized. There  was  more  than  mischief  in  it,  but  what 
the  more  consisted  of  I  could  not  tell.  "  Have  you  for- 
gotten the  virtues  of  civilized  self-restraint  ?  "  she  asked 
demurely. 

I  could  see  no  cause  for  these  swift  changes,  which 
would  probably  have  bewildered  any  ordinary  man,  and 
I  made  answer :  "  It  may  be  so ;  but  on  this  occasion, 
at  least,  I  said  nothing." 

Lucille  Haldane  laughed,  and  laid  her  hand  lightly  on 
my  arm  as  the  cars  jolted.  "  Then  you  certainly  looked 
it;  but  I  am  not  blaming  you.  I  saw  you  ride  into  the 
station,  and  I  hardly  grasp  the  reason  for  so  much  mod- 
esty. I  do  not  know  what  delayed  you,  but  I  know  you 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

were  trying  to  redeem  the  trust  your  neighbors  placed 
in  you." 

I  was  apparently  a  prey  to  all  disordered  fancies  that 
night,  for  it  seemed  a  desecration  that  the  little  white 
hand  should  even  bear  the  touch  of  another  man's 
jacket,  and  I  lifted  it  gently  into  my  own  hard  palm. 
Also,  I  think  I  came  desperately  near  stooping  and 
touching  it  with  my  lips.  Be  that  as  it  may,  in  another 
second  the  opportunity  was  lacking,  for  Lucille  grasped 
the  rails  with  it  some  distance  away  from  me,  and  leaned 
out  over  them  to  watch  the  sliding  prairie,  her  light 
dress  streaming  about  her  in  the  whistling  draught. 

"  The  cars  were  very  stuffy,  and  I  am  glad  I  came  out. 
It  is  a  perfectly  glorious  night,"  she  said. 

The  remark  seemed  very  disconnected,  but  she  was 
right.  The  prairie  there  was  dead-level,  a  vast,  rippling 
silver  sea  overhung  by  a  spangled  vault  of  softest  indigo. 
In  spite  of  the  rattling  ballast  and  puffs  of  whirled-up 
dust  the  lash  of  cool  wind  was  grateful,  and  the  rush 
of  the  clanking  cars  stirred  one's  blood.  Still,  in  con- 
trast to  their  bulk  and  speed,  the  slight  figure  in  the 
fluttering  white  dress  seemed  very  frail  and  insecure  as 
it  leaned  forth  from  the  rails,  and  I  set  my  teeth  when, 
with  a  sudden  swing  and  a  giddy  slanting,  we  roared 
across  a  curving  bridge.  Before  the  dark  creek  whirled 
behind  us  I  had  flung  my  arm  partly  around  the  girl's 
waist  and  clenched  the  rails  in  front  of  her. 

"  I  am  quite  safe,"  she  said  calmly,  after  a  curious 
glance  at  me.  "  You  look  positively  startled." 

"  I  was  so,"  I  answered,  speaking  no  more  than  the 
truth,  for  the  fright  had  turned  me  cold;  and  she  once 
more  looked  down  at  the  whirling  prairie. 

"  That  was  very  unreasonable.  You  are  not  respon- 
sible for  me." 

Perhaps  the  fright  had  rendered  me  temporarily  light- 
headed, for  I  answered,  on  impulse :  "  No ;  on  the  other 
hand,  you  are  responsible  for  me." 

"  I  ?  "  the  girl  said  quietly,  with  a  demureness  which 
was  not  all  mockery.  "  How  could  that  be  ?  Such  a  re- 
sponsibility would  be  too  onerous  for  me." 

"Why  it  should  be  I  cannot  tell  you;  but  it  is  the 


BAD    TIDINGS  245 

truth,"  I  said.  "  Twice,  when  a  crisis  had  to  be  faced, 
it  was  your  opinions  that  turned  the  scale  for  me;  and 
I  think  that,  growing  hopeless,  I  should  have  allowed 
Lane  to  rob  me  and  gone  elsewhere  in  search  of  better 
fortune  had  it  not  been  for  the  courage  you  infused  into 
me.  Once  or  twice  also  you  pointed  the  way  out  of  a 
difficulty,  and  the  clearness  of  your  views  was  almost 
startling.  The  most  curious  thing  is  that  you  are  so 
much  younger  than  I." 

I  had  spoken  no  more  than  the  truth,  and  was  conscious 
of  a  passing  annoyance  when  Lucille  Haldane  laughed. 
"  There  is  no  overcoming  masculine  vanity ;  and  I  once 
heard  my  father  say  you  were  in  some  respects  very 
young  for  your  age/'  she  said.  "  I  am  afraid  it  was 
presumption,  but  I  don't  mind  admitting  I  am  glad  if 
any  chance  word  of  mine  nerved  you  to  continue  your 
resistance."  Her  voice  changed  a  little  as  she  added: 
"  Of  course,  that  is  because  your  enemy's  work  is  evil, 
and  I  think  you  will  triumph  yet." 

Neither  of  us  spoke  again  for  a  time,  and  I  remember 
reflecting  that  whoever  won  Lucille  Haldane  would  have 
a  helpmate  to  be  proud  of  in  this  world  and  perhaps, 
by  virtue  of  what  she  could  teach  him?  follow  into  the 
next.  I  could  think  so  the  more  dispassionately  because 
now  both  she  and  her  sister  were  far  above  me,  though, 
knowing  my  own  kind,  I  wondered  where  either  could 
find  any  man  worthy. 

So  the  minutes  slipped  by  while  the  great  express 
raced  on,  and  blue  heavens  and  silver  prairie  unrolled 
themselves  before  us  in  an  apparently  unending  pano- 
rama. There  had  been  times  when  I  considered  such  a 
prospect  dreary  enough,  but  it  appeared  surcharged  with 
a  strange  glamour  that  moonlit  night. 

"Will  Miss  Haldane  return  to  Bonaventure  ? "  I 
asked,  at  length. 

"  I  hardly  think  so,"  said  the  girl.  "  We  have  very 
different  tastes,  you  know;  and  as  father  will  not  keep 
more  than  one  of  us  with  him,  we  can  both  gratify  them. 
Beatrice  will  leave  for  England  soon,  and  in  all  prob- 
ability will  not  visit  Bonaventure  again." 

She  looked  at  me  with  a  strange  expression  as  she 


246     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

spoke,  and  when  her  meaning  dawned  on  me  I  was 
conscious  of  a  heavy  shock.  I  had  braced  myself  to 
face  the  inevitable  already,  but  the  knowledge  was  pain- 
ful nevertheless,  and  my  voice  was  not  quite  steady  when 
I  said :  "  You  imply  that  Miss  Haldane  is  to  be  mar- 
ried shortly  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  an  impossible  contingency." 

Lucille  spoke  gravely,  and  I  wondered  whether  she 
had  guessed  the  full  significance  of  the  intimation.  Per- 
haps my  face  had  grown  a  little  harder,  or  the  tight- 
ening of  my  fingers  on  the  rail  betrayed  me,  for  she 
looked  up  very  sympathetically.  "  I  thought  it  would 
be  better  that  you  should  know." 

There  was  such  kindness  stamped  on  her  face  that 
my  heart  went  out  to  her,  and  it  was  almost  huskily  I 
said :  "  I  thank  you.  You  have  keen  perceptions." 

Lucille  smiled  gravely.  "  One  could  see  that  you 
thought  much  of  Beatrice — and  I  was  sorry  that  it 
should  be  so." 

Her  tone  seemed  to  challenge  further  speech,  and 
presently  I  found  words  again :  "  It  was  an  impossible 
dream,  almost  from  the  beginning;  but  I  awakened  to 
the  reality  long  ago.  Still,  nothing  can  rob  me  of  the 
satisfaction  of  having  known  your  sister  and  you,  and 
your  influence  has  been  good  for  me.  One  can  at  least 
cherish  the  memory ;  and  even  a  wholly  impossible  fancy 
has  its  benefits." 

The  girl  colored,  and  said  quietly :  "  It  is  not  our 
fault  that  you  overrate  us,  and  one  finds  the  standard 
others  set  up  for  one  irksome.  And  yet  you  cannot  be 
easily  influenced,  from  what  I  know." 

"  Heaven  knows  how  weak  and  unstable  I  have  been 
at  times,  but  I  learned  much  that  was  good  for  me  at 
Bonaventure,  and  should,  whatever  happens,  desire  to 
keep  your  good  opinion,"  I  said. 

"  I  think  you  will  always  do  that,"  said  the  girl,  mov- 
ing towards  the  door.  "  It  is  growing  late,  but  before 
I  go  I  want  to  ask  you  to  go  to  your  trial  to-morrow 
with  a  good  courage,  and  not  to  be  astonished  at  any- 
thing you  hear  or  see.  If  you  are,  you  must  try  to  re- 


BAD    TIDINGS  247 

member  that  we  Canadians  actually  are,  as  our  orators 
tell  us,  a  free  people,  and  that  the  prairie  farmers  do  not 
monopolize  all  our  love  of  justice." 

She  brushed  lightly  past  me,  and  the  prairie  grew  dim 
and  desolate  as  the  door  clicked  to.  I  had  long  dreaded 
the  news  just  given  me,  but  such  expectations  do  not 
greatly  lessen  one's  sense  of  loss.  Still,  it  may  have  been 
that  my  senses  were  too  dulled  to  feel  the  worst  pain, 
and  I  sat  down  on  the  top  step  of  the  platform  with  my 
arm  through  the  railing  in  a  state  of  utter  weariness  and 
dejection,  which  mercifully  acted  as  an  anesthetic.  How 
long  I  watched  the  moonlit  waste  sweep  past  the  hum- 
ming wheels  I  do  not  know;  but  tired  nature  must  have 
had  her  way,  for  it  was  early  morning  when  a  brake- 
man  fell  over  me,  and  by  the  time  the  resultant  alterca- 
tion was  concluded,  the  clustered  roofs  of  Empress  rose 
out  of  the  prairie. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 
LIBERTY 

SLEEP  had  brought  me  a  brief  forgetfulness,  but  the 
awakening  was  not  pleasant  when  I  painfully  straight- 
ened my  limbs  on  the  jolting  platform,  while  the  twin 
whistles  shrieked  ahead.  Every  joint  ached  from  the" 
previous  day's  exertions,  my  borrowed  garments  were 
clammy  with  dew,  and  I  shivered  in  the  cold  draught 
that  swept  past  the  slowing  cars.  The  sun  had  not 
cleared  the  grayness  which  veiled  the  east,  and,  frowned 
down  upon  by  huge  elevators  which  rose  higher  and 
higher  against  a  lowering  sky,  the  straggling  town 
loomed  up  depressingly  out  of  the  surrounding  desola- 
tion. The  pace  grew  slower,  a  thicket  of  willows  choked 
with  empty  cans  and  garbage  slid  by,  then  the  rails  of 
the  stockyards  closed  in  on  each  hand,  and  we  jolted 
over  the  switches  into  the  station,  which  was  built,  as 
usual,  not  in,  but  facing,  the  prairie  town. 

There  was  no  sign  of  life  in  its  ill-paved  streets, 
down  which  the  dust  wisps  danced;  bare  squares  of 
wooden  buildings,  devoid  of  all  ornamentation,  save  for 
glaring  advertisements  which  emphasized  their  ugliness, 
walled  them  in,  and  the  whole  place  seemed  stamped 
with  the  dreariness  which  characterizes  most  prairie 
towns  when  seen  early  on  a  gloomy  morning  by  anybody 
not  in  the  best  of  spirits.  My  fellow-passengers  were 
apparently  asleep,  but  I  was  the  better  pleased,  having 
no  desire  for  speech,  and  I  dropped  from  the  platform  as 
soon  as  the  locomotive  stopped.  Hurrying  out  of  the 
station,  I  did  not  turn  around  until  a  row  of  empty 
farm  wagons  hid  the  track,  which  action  was  not  without 
results. 

One  hotel  door  stood  open,  but  knowing  that  its  tariff 

248 


LIBERTY  249 

was  not  in  accordance  with  my  finances,  I  passed  it  by 
and  patrolled  the  empty  streets  until  the  others,  or  a  dry 
goods  store,  should  make  ready  for  business.  One  of 
the  latter  did  so  first,  and  when  I  entered  a  mirror 
showed  that  the  decision  was  not  unnecessary.  The  bor- 
rowed jacket  was  far  too  small,  the  vest  as  much  too 
large,  while  somebody's  collar  cut  chokingly  into  my 
sunburnt  neck.  Still,  the  prices  the  sleepy  clerk  men- 
tioned were  prohibitive,  and  after  wasting  a  little  time  in 
somewhat  pointed  argument — of  which  he  had  the  bet- 
ter— I  strode  out  of  the  store,  struggling  with  an  incli- 
nation to  assault  him.  Western  storekeepers  are  seldom 
characterized  by  superfluous  civility,  and  there  are  dis- 
advantages attached  to  a  life  in  a  country  so  free  that, 
according  to  one  of  its  sayings,  any  man  who  cannot 
purchase  boots  may  always  walk  barefooted. 

"  I  don't  know  what  the  outfit  you've  got  on  cost  you, 
and  shouldn't  wonder,  by  the  way  it  fits,  if  you  got  it 
cheap,"  he  said.  "  We  don't  turn  out  our  customers 
like  scarecrows,  anyway,  and  if  you'd  had  the  money 
we  would  have  tried  to  make  a  decent  show  of  you." 

I  was  nevertheless  able,  after  almost  emptying  my 
purse,  to  replace  at  least  the  vest  and  jacket  at  a  rival 
establishment,  whose  proprietor  promised  to  forward 
the  borrowed  articles  to  their  legitimate  owners.  I 
afterwards  discovered  that  they  never  received  them. 

"  You  look  smart  as  a  city  drummer,  the  top  half 
of  you,  but  it  makes  the  rest  look  kind  of  mean.  You 
want  to  live  up  to  that  coat,"  he  said,  after  a  critical 
survey. 

"  I  can't  do  it  at  the  price,  unless  you  will  take  your 
chances  of  getting  paid  when  the  stock  go  East,"  I  said ; 
and  the  dealer  shook  his  head  sorrowfully. 

"  We  don't  trade  that  way  with  strangers,  and  I  don't 
know  you." 

I  was  in  a  reckless  mood,  and  some  puerile  impulse 
prompted  me  to  astonish  him.  "  My  name  is  Henry 
Ormesby ! " 

The  man  positively  gasped,  and  then,  with  Western 
keenness,  prepared  to  profit  by  the  opportunity.  "  I'll 


250     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

fit  you  out  all  for  nothing  if  you'll  walk  round  to  the 
photographer's  and  give  me  your  picture  with  a  notice 
to  stick  in  the  window  that  you  think  my  things  the  best 
in  town,"  he  said.  "  It  would  be  worth  money  every 
time  the  prairie  boys  come  in,  and  I  don't  mind  throwing 
a  little  of  it  into  the  bargain." 

This  was  exasperating,  but  I  could  not  restrain  a 
mirthless  laugh;  and,  leaving  the  enterprising  dealer 
astonished  that  any  man  should  refuse  such  an  offer,  I 
hurried  out  of  the  store;  but  by  the  time  the  breakfast 
hour  arrived  all  trace  of  even  sardonic  humor  had  left 
me.  It  was  with  difficulty  I  had  raised  sufficient  ready 
money  for  the  journey,  and  there  now  remained  but 
two  or  three  silver  coins  in  my  pocket,  while,  remem- 
bering that  the  dealer  had  been  justified  in  pointing  out 
the  desirability  of  a  complete  renovation,  I  reflected 
gloomily  that  it  would  be  useless,  because,  in  all  prob- 
ability, the  nation  would  shortly  feed  and  cloth  me.  I 
also  remembered  how  I  had  seen  men  with  heavy  chains 
on  their  ankles  road-making  before  the  public  gaze  in 
a  British  Columbian  town. 

Meanwhile  I  was  very  hungry,  and  presently  sat  down 
to  a  simple  breakfast  in  a  crowded  room.  While  wait- 
ing a  few  minutes  my  eyes  fell  on  a  commercial  article 
in  a  newspaper,  which,  while  noting  a  revival  of  trade, 
deplored  the  probable  abandonment  of  much  needed  rail- 
road extension.  The  writer  appeared  well  posted,  and 
mentioned  the  road  we  hoped  so  much  from  as  one  of 
the  works  which  would  not  be  undertaken.  I  laid  down 
the  journal  with  a  sigh,  and  noticed  that  the  men  about 
me  were  discussing  the  coming  trial. 

"  I  expect  they'll  send  Ormesby  up,"  said  one  man, 
between  his  rapid  gulps.  "  Don't  know  whether  he  done 
it,  but  he  threatened  the  other  fellow,  and  said  he'd  see 
him  roasted  before  he  helped;  while  that  match-box 
would  fix  most  anybody  up." 

"Well,  I  don't  know,"  observed  a  neighbor.  "The 
match-box  looks  bad;  but  I  guess  if  I'd  been  burning  a 
place  up  I  shouldn't  have  forgotten  it.  Still,  it  might  be 
fatal  unless  he  could  disown  it.  As  to  the  other  thing, 


LIBERTY  251 

I  don't  count  much  on  what  he  said.  A  real  fire-bug 
would  have  kept  his  mouth  shut  and  helped  all  he  was 
worth  instead  of  saying  anything." 

"  I'm  offering  five  to  one  he  goes  up.  Any  takers  ?  " 
said  the  first  speaker;  and  it  was  significant  that,  al- 
though most  Westerners  are  keen  at  a  bet,  nobody 
offered. 

"  I'd  do  it  for  less,  'cept  for  the  match-box,"  said  one. 

I  managed  to  finish  my  breakfast,  feeling  thankful 
that — because  (so  their  appearance  suggested)  those 
who  sat  at  meat  had  driven  in  from  the  prairie  to  enjoy 
the  spectacle — none  of  them  recognized  me.  The  odds, 
in  their  opinion,  were  more  than  five  to  one  against  me, 
and  I  agreed  with  them.  Slipping  out  I  found  Dixon, 
and  reported  my  presence  to  the  police;  and,  after  what 
seemed  an  endless  waiting  at  the  court,  it  was  early 
afternoon  when  Dixon  said  to  me :  "  They'll  be  ready 
in  five  minutes,  and  I  want  you  to  keep  a  tight  rein  on 
your  temper,  Ormesby.  I  can  do  all  the  fancy  talking 
that  is  necessary.  You  can  keep  your  heart  up,  too. 
There  are  going  to  be  surprises  for  everyone  to- 
day." 

I  was  called  in  a  few  minutes,  and  if  the  court  had 
been  thronged  on  previous  occasions,  it  was  packed  to 
suffocation  now.  It  was  a  bare,  ugly,  wood-built  room, 
even  dirtier  than  it  was  dingy.  Neither  is  there  any- 
thing impressive,  save,  perhaps,  to  the  culprit,  about  the 
administration  of  Western  justice,  and  I  was  thankful 
for  a  lethargy  which  helped  me  to  bear  the  suspense  with 
outward  indifference.  Nothing  striking  marked  the  first 
part  of  the  proceedings,  and  I  sat  listening  to  the  drawl  of 
voices  like  one  in  a  dream.  Some  of  the  spectators 
yawned,  and  some  fidgeted,  until  there  was  a  sudden  stir 
of  interest  as  the  name  "  Thomas  Wilkins  "  rang  through 
the  court. 

"  I  guess  that's  the  prosecution's  trump  ace,"  said  a 
man  beneath  me. 

I  became  suddenly  intent  as  this  witness  took  his  stand. 
He  was  of  the  usual  type  of  Canadian-born  farm  hand, 
bronzed  and  wiry,  but  not  heavily  built,  and  hazarded 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

what  I  fancied  was  a  meaning  glance  at  me.  I  could  not 
understand  it,  for  he  seemed  at  once  ashamed  and 
exultant. 

"  I  was  hired  by  Rancher  Niven  to  help  him  at  Gas- 
pard's  Trail,  and  remember  the  night  of  the  fire  well. 
Guess  anybody  who'd  been  trod  on  by  a  horse  and  left 
with  broken  bones  to  roast  would,"  he  said;  and  pro- 
ceeded to  confirm  Niven's  testimony.  This  was  nothing 
new,  and  the  interest  slackened,  but  revived  again  when 
the  witness  approached  the  essential  part  of  his  story, 
and  I  could  hear  my  own  heart  thumping  more  plainly 
than  the  slow  drawling  voice. 

"  I  was  round  at  the  wreck  of  the  homestead  some 
time  after  the  fire.  Don't  know  the  date,  but  Niven 
made  a  note  of  it.  Kind  of  precise  man  he  was.  The 
place  wasn't  all  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  Niven  he  crawls 
in  under  some  fallen  logs  into  what  had  been  the  kitchen. 
The  door  opened  right  on  to  the  prairie,  and  anybody 
could  slip  in  if  they  wanted  to.  Niven  grabbed  at  some- 
thing on  the  floor.  '  Come  along  and  take  a  look  at  this/ 
says  he ;  and  I  saw  it  was  a  silver  match-box  he  held  up. 
There  was  '  H.  Ormesby '  not  quite  worn  of!  it.  Niven 
he  prospects  some  more,  and  finds  a  flattened  coal-oil 
tin.  Yes,  sir,  those  you  are  holding  up  are  the  very 
things.  '  We  don't  use  that  brand  of  oil,  and  buy  ours  in 
bigger  cans,'  says  he." 

I  could  see  by  the  spectators'  faces  it  was  damaging 
testimony,  and  Dixon's  serene  appearance  was  incompre- 
hensible, while,  for  the  benefit  of  those  ignorant  of 
Western  customs,  it  may  be  explained  that  kerosene  is 
sold  in  large  square  tins  for  the  settler's  convenience  in 
several  parts  of  the  Dominion. 

"  I  went  over  to  the  store  with  Niven  next  day,"  con- 
tinued the  witness.  "  The  man  who  kept  it  allowed  that 
Rancher  Ormesby  was  about  the  only  man  he  sold  that 
brand  to  in  small  cans." 

There  were  signs  of  subdued  sensation,  and  Wilkins 
continued :  "  We  gave  them  both  to  Sergeant  Mackay, 
and  by-and-by  I  was  summoned  to  come  here  and  testify. 
I  came  right  along;  then  it  struck  me  it  was  mean  to 


LIBERTY  253 

help  in  sending  up  the  man  who'd  saved  my  life.  So  I 
just  lit  out  and  hid  myself  until  the  police  trailed  me." 

It  was  news  to  hear  that  Lane  had  no  hand  in  the 
witness's  disappearance;  and  again  he  flashed  an  ap- 
parently wholly  unwarranted,  reassuring  glance  in  my 
direction.  Then,  while  I  wondered  hopelessly  whether 
Dixon  could  shake  his  testimony,  the  latter  stood  up. 

"  I  purpose  to  ask  Thomas  Wilkins  a  few  questions 
later,  and  will  not  trouble  him  about  the  match-box,  be- 
ing perfectly  satisfied  as  to  the  accuracy  of  the  facts  he 
states,"  he  said. 

I  could  see  the  spectators  stare  at  him  in  surprise,  and, 
wondering  if  he  had  lost  his  senses,  settled  myself  to 
listen  as  the  storekeeper  deposed  to  selling  me  oil  of  the 
description  mentioned,  adding  reluctantly  that  very  few 
others  took  the  same  size  of  can.  This,  and  a  lengthy 
speech,  closed  the  prosecutor's  case,  and  it  seemed,  when 
he  had  finished,  that  nothing  short  of  a  miracle  could 
save  me.  The  audience  was  also  evidently  of  the  same 
opinion. 

Dixon  commenced  feebly  by  submitting  evidence  as  to 
my  uprightness  of  character,  which  his  opponent  allowed 
to  pass  unchallenged  with  a  somewhat  contemptuous  in- 
difference. Then  he  said :  "  It  will  be  remembered  that 
in  his  evidence  Sergeant  Mackay  deposed  that  the  witness 
Niven  told  him  the  burning  homestead  was  not  insured, 
and  I  will  call  the  Western  agent  of  a  famous  fire  office." 

The  evidence  of  the  gentleman  in  question  was  brief 
and  to  the  point.  "  I  have  heard  the  statement  that 
Gaspard's  Trail  was  not  insured,  and  can't  understand  it. 
The  witness  Niven  took  out  a  policy  three  months  before 
the  fire,  and  sent  in  his  claim  straight  off  to  me.  The 
company  declined  to  meet  it  until  this  case  was  settled. 
Am  I  quite  certain,  or  can  I  offer  any  explanation? 
Well,  here's  our  premium  receipt  foil  and  record  of  the 
policy.  Can't  suggest  any  explanation,  except  that  some- 
body is  lying." 

This  was  received  with  some  sensation,  and  Dixon 
smiled  at  me  as  if  there  were  more  in  store.  "  You  will 
observe  that  the  witness  Niven  cannot  be  considered  a 


254     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

very  truthful  person.  I  will  recall  Thomas  Wilkins,"  he 
said. 

Wilkins  had  lost  his  shamefacedness  when  he  reap- 
peared. "  I  said  the  prisoner  saved  my  life,  arid  meant 
just  that,"  he  said,  answering  a  question.  "  It  was  he  who 
took  me  out  of  the  fire,  and  I  had  sense  enough  to  see  he 
was  leading  the  boys  who  saved  all  Niven's  horses.  It's 
my  opinion — you  don't  want  opinions?  Well,  I'll  try  to 
pitch  in  the  solid  facts." 

"  Your  master  went  East  for  a  few  days  before  the 
fire  and  brought  a  case  of  groceries  home  with  him,"  said 
Dixon.  "  Will  you  tell  us  if  you  opened  that  case  ?  " 

"  I  did,"  was  the  answer.  "  He  sent  me  into  the 
station  for  it  with  the  check.  Said  our  storekeeper  was 
a  robber,  and  he'd  saved  money  by  buying  down  East. 
It  was  a  blame  heavy  case,  so  I  started  to  open  it  in  the 
wagon,  and  had  just  pulled  the  top  off  when  Niven  came 
along." 

"  Did  you  see  anything  except  groceries  in  it  ?  "  asked 
Dixon;  and  there  was  a  stirring  in  the  court  when  Wil- 
kins answered :  "  I  did.  I  had  lit  on  to  the  top  of  three 
coal-oil  tins  when  the  boss  came  in." 

"  Did  he  look  pleased  at  your  diligence?  " 

"  No,  sir.  He  looked  real  mad.  '  If  you'll  do  what 
you're  asked  .to  without  mixing  up  my  private  things  it 
will  be  good  enough  for  me.  Get  your  horses  fixed  right 
now,'  he  said." 

"  You  are  sure  about  the  oil  tins?  Were  they  large 
or  small — and  did  you  ever  see  them  or  the  groceries 
again?" 

"  Dead  sure,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  stowed  the  groceries 
in  the  kitchen,  but  never  saw  the  oil.  It  was  a  smaller 
size  than  we  used,  any  way.  Didn't  think  much  about  it 
until  I  read  a  paper  about  this  trial  not  long  ago.  Begin 
to  think  a  good  deal  now." 

I  drew  in  a  deep  breath,  and  the  movements  of  ex- 
pectant listeners  grew  more  audible  when,  reminded  that 
his  impressions  were  not  asked  for,  Wilkins  stepped 
down.  Hope  was  beginning  to  dawn,  for  I  could  see 
that  Dixon  was  on  the  trail  of  a  conspiracy.  Everybody 


LIBERTY  255 

seemed  eager,  the  prosecutor  as  much  so  as  the  rest,  and 
there  was  a  deep  silence  when  Dixon  folded  up  the  paper 
on  which  he  had  been  making  notes. 

"  My  next  witness  is  Miss  Lucille  Haldane,  of  Bona- 
venture,"  he  said. 

There  was  a  low  murmur,  every  head  was  turned  in 
the  same  direction,  and  I  grew  hot  with  shame  and  indig- 
nation when  Haldane's  younger  daughter  walked  into 
the  witness  stand.  It  seemed  to  me  a  desecration  that 
she  should  be  dragged  forward  into  an  atmosphere  of 
crime  as  part  of  the  spectacle  before  a  sea  of  curious 
faces,  and  I  had  never  felt  the  enforced  restraint  so  horri- 
bly oppressive  as  when  I  read  admiration  in  some  of 
them.  Had  it  been  possible  to  wither  up  Dixon  with  a 
glance  it  is  hardly  likely  that  he  would  ever  have  handled 
a  case  again.  The  girl  looked  very  young  and  pretty  as, 
with  a  patch  of  almost  hectic  color  in  each  cheek,  and  a 
brightness  in  her  eyes,  she  took  her  place.  She  wore  no 
veil,  and  held  herself  proudly  as,  without  sign  of  weak- 
ness, she  looked  down  at  the  assembly.  While  she  did  so 
there  was,  without  articulate  sound,  something  that  sug- 
gested wonder  and  approval  in  the  universal  movement, 
and  I  heard  a  man  beneath  me  say :  "  She's  a  daisy. 
Now  we're  coming  right  into  the  business  end  of  the 
play." 

'  You  know  the  prisoner,  Ormesby  ?  "  asked  Dixon ; 
and  though  her  voice  was  low,  its  clear  distinctness 
seemed  to  permeate  the  building  as  she  answered:  "  I 
do.  He  is  a  friend  of  my  father's,  and  visited  us  at 
Bonaventure  occasionally." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  a  silver  match-box  in  his  posses- 
sion, and,  if  so,  could  you  describe  it?" 

"  I  did,  on  several  occasions.  He  wore  it  hooked  on 
to  his  watch-chain,  and  once  handed  it  to  me  to  light  a 
lamp  with.  It  had  an  oak-leaf  engraving  with  a  partly 
obliterated  inscription — '  From to  H.  Ormesby.'  " 

"  I  think  that  is  an  accurate  description,"  said  Dixon ; 
and  when  the  judge,  who  held  up  a  little  silver  object  and 
passed  it  on  to  the  jury,  signified  assent,  I  glanced  in 
savage  bewilderment  at  the  speaker.  It  had  appeared 


256     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

shameful  cruelty  to  hale  that  delicate  girl  into  a  crowded 
court;  now  it  also  appeared  sheer  madness.  She  never 
once  glanced  in  my  direction,  but  stood  with  head  erect, 
one  hand  resting  on  the  rails,  where  the  pitiless  sunlight 
beat  full  upon  her,  with  eyes  fixed  only  on  the  judge ;  but 
in  spite  of  her  courage  I  could  see  that  her  lips  trembled, 
while  the  little  gloved  fingers  tightened  spasmodically  on 
the  rails.  Then  I  hung  my  head  for  very  shame  that 
I  had  been  the  unwitting  cause  of  such  an  ordeal,  feeling 
that  I  would  prefer  to  suffer  ten  convictions  rather  than 
that  she  should  become  a  subject  for  discussion  in  every 
saloon,  and  the  free  commentary  of  the  Western  press, 
even  if  she  could  have  saved  me. 

"  When  did  you  last  see  the  match-box?  "  asked  Dixon. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  Wednesday  in  the  third  week 
after  the  fire.  I  am  sure  of  the  day,  because  the  visit  of 
some  friends  .from  Montreal  impressed  it  on  my  memory. 
Henry  Ormesby  had  stayed  all  night  at  Bonaventure  and 
left  early  in  the  morning.  A  maid  brought  me  the  match- 
box, which  she  had  found  on  the  bureau,  with  one  or 
two  articles  of  clothing;  and  as  he  did  not  return  I  told 
her  to  slip  the  match-box  inside  the  packet  and  forward 
them.  I  forgot  the  incident  until  the  trial  recalled  it." 

As  Lucille  ceased  it  flashed  upon  me  that  I  had  won- 
dered how  the  match-box  had  made  its  way  into  a  pocket 
in  which  I  never  carried  it.  Then  I  was  borne  down  by 
a  great  wave  of  gratitude  to  the  girl  who,  it  seemed,  had 
saved  me.  She  was  rigorously  cross-examined,  and, 
while  I  do  not  know  whether  the  prosecutor  exceeded  due 
limits  in  his  efforts  to  shake  her  evidence,  I  grew  mur- 
derously inclined  towards  him  as  I  noticed  how  his  vic- 
tim's color  came  and  went,  and  the  effort  it  cost  her 
not  to  shrink  under  the  questions.  But  her  courage  rose 
with  the  emergency,  and  when  the  indignation  crept  into 
her  eyes  there  was  several  times  subdued  applause  as  her 
answer  to  some  innuendo  carried  a  rebuke  with  it. 

At  last  the  approbation  was  no  more  subdued,  but 
swelled  into  a  hoarse  murmur  which  filled  all  the  court 
when  she  drew  herself  up  at  the  question :  "  And  it  was 
because  you  were  a  firm  friend  of  the  prisoner's  you  recol- 


LIBERTY  257 

lected  all  this  so  opportunely,  and,  in  spite  of  the  dif- 
fidence any  lady  in  your  position  would  feel,  volunteered 
to  give  evidence  ?  " 

The  damask  patch  had  spread  to  Lucille  Haldane's 
forehead,  but  instead  of  being  downcast  her  eyes  were 
filled  with  light  "  No,"  she  said ;  and  the  vibration  in 
her  voice  had  a  steely  ring.  "  It  was  because  I  am  a 
Canadian,  and  accordingly  desired  to  see  justice  done  to 
an  innocent  man.  Can  you  consider  such  a  desire  either 
uncommon  or  surprising?" 

A  full  minute  had  elapsed  before  the  case  proceeded, 
during  which  an  excitable  juryman  rose  and  seemed  on 
the  point  of  haranguing  the  assembly  until  a  comrade 
dragged  him  down.  Then  laughter  broke  through  the 
murmurs  as  he  gesticulated  wildly  amid  shouts  of 
"  Order." 

A  Scandinavian  domestic  quaintly  corroborated  her 
mistress's  statement,  and  there  was  no  doubt  that  the 
scale  was  turned ;  but  Dixon  did  not  leave  his  work  half- 
completed,  and  the  next  witness  confirmed  this  evidence. 

"  I  keep  the  Railroad  Hotel.  It's  not  a  saloon,  but 
a  hotel,  with  a  big  H,"  he  said.  "  Know  Harry  Ormesby 
well.  Saw  him  about  three  weeks  after  the  fire  lighting 
a  cigar  I  gave  him  from  a  silver  match-box.  Oh,  yes, 
I'm  quite  sure  about  the  box ;  had  several  times  seen  the 
thing  before.  Was  pretty  busy  when  the  boys  started 
smoking  round  the  stove  after  supper,  and  forgot  to  pick 
up  something  bright  beneath  Ormesby's  chair.  Was 
going  to  tell  him  he'd  dropped  his  box,  when  somebody 
called  me.  The  boys  cleared  out  when  the  cars  came  in, 
and  I  saw  Niven  among  them.  Knew  him  as  a  customer 
— don't  want  to  as  a  friend.  Got  too  much  of  the  coyote 
about  him.  My  Chinaman  was  turning  out  the  lights 
when  I  saw  somebody  slip  back  quietly.  He  grabbed  at 
something  by  the  chair,  and  went  out  by  the  other  door. 
There  was  only  a  light  in  the  passage  left,  and  I  didn't 
quite  recognize  him.  Could  swear  it  wasn't  Ormesby, 
and  think  he  was  more  like  Niven.  Asked  Niven  ^about 
it  afterwards,  and  he  said  it  wasn't  he ;  didn't  see 
Ormesby,  but  wired  his  lawyer  when  I'd  read  the  papers. 


258     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Don't  believe  Ormesby  had  enough  malice  in  him  to 
burn  up  a  hen-house." 

There  were  further  signs  of  sensation,  and  Sergeant 
Mackay  was  called  again.  He  had  ridden  over  to  Gas- 
pard's  Trail  the  day  following  the  fire,  and  decided  to 
clear  out  the  refuse  dump,  he  said.  Then  the  whole  audi- 
ence grinned,  when,  being  asked  why  he  did  so,  he 
glanced  at  the  jury  as  if  for  sympathy,  answering :  "  I 
was  thinking  I  might  find  something  inside  it.  A  man 
must  do  his  duty,  but  it  was  a  sairly  distressful  operation." 
He  found  two  unopened  coal-oil  tins  resembling  the  flat- 
tened one,  and  was  certain  by  the  appearance  of  the  dump 
they  had  been  placed  there  some  time  before  the  fire. 

There  was  no  further  evidence.  Dixon  said  very  little, 
but  that  little  told.  The  jury  had  scarcely  retired  before 
one  of  them  reappeared,  and,  with  a  rush  of  blood  to 
my  forehead  and  a  singing  in  my  ears,  I  caught  the  words 
—"Not  guilty!" 

Then,  when  the  judge,  and  even  the  prosecuting 
counsel,  said  he  fully  concurred,  the  murmurs  swelled 
until  they  filled  the  court  again ;  and  presently  I  was 
standing  outside,  a  free  man,  in  the  center  of  an  excited 
crowd,  for  Western  citizens  are  desperately  fond  of  any 
sensation.  How  many  cigars  and  offers  of  liquid  re- 
freshment were  thrust  upon  me  I  do  not  remember,  but 
they  were  overwhelmingly  numerous,  and  I  was  grate- 
ful when  Dixon  came  to  the  rescue. 

"  Mr.  Ormesby  is  much  obliged  to  you,  gentlemen, 
but  it's  quiet  he  wants  just  now,"  he  said ;  while  we  had 
hardly  reached  the  leading  hotel  where  Dixon  led  me  than 
there  was  a  clamor  in  the  direction  of  the  court,  and  I 
looked  at  him  inquiringly. 

"  I  expect  they've  issued  a  warrant  for  Niven  on  a 
charge  of  conspiracy  or  arson,  and  the  boys  have  heard 
of  it,"  he  said.  "  However,  I  have  had  sufficient  profes- 
sional occupation  for  to-day,  and  we're  going  to  get 
supper  and  afterwards  enjoy  ourselves  as  we  can." 

I  had,  nevertheless,  determined  to  thank  my  bene- 
factress first,  and,  igoring  Dixon's  advice,  sent  up  my 
name.  I  was  informed  that  Miss  Haldane  would  re- 


LIBERTY  259 

ceive  nobody,  and  the  lawyer  smiled  dryly  when  I 
returned  crestfallen.  "  I  don't  think  you  need  feel  either 
hurt  or  surprised,"  he  said. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  prairie  towns  differ  from  the 
taciturn  plainsmen  in  being  vociferously  enthusiastic  and 
mercurial,  and  to  my  disgust  the  citizens  came  in  groups 
to  interview  me,  while  one,  who  shoved  his  way  into  our 
quarters  by  main  force,  said  the  rest  would  take  it  kindly 
if  I  made  a  speech  to  them. 

"You  can  tell  them  I  feel  honored,  but  nobody  can 
charge  me  with  ever  having  done  such  a  thing  in  my 
life,"  I  said ;  and  the  representatives  of  the  populace 
retired,  to  find  another  outlet  for  their  energies,  as  we 
presently  discovered. 

"  I  owe  my  escape  solely  to  a  lady's  courage  and  your 
skill,  Dixon ;  but  why  didn't  you  try  to  implicate  Lane  ?  " 
I  said ;  and  the  lawyer  laughed. 

"  Any  reasonable  man  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
verdict  and  demonstration.  It  would  have  been  difficult, 
if  not  useless,  while  I  fancy  that  if  Lane  is  allowed  a 
little  more  rope  his  time  will  shortly  come,"  he  said. 
"  Hallo !  Here  are  more  enthusiastic  citizens  desirous  of 
interviewing  you." 

"  Keep  them  out  for  heaven's  sake,"  I  said ;  but  before 
Dixon  could  secure  the  door  Sergeant  Mackay  strode  in. 

"  I  have  come  to  congratulate  ye.  It  will  be  a  lesson 
til  ye,  Ormesby,"  he  announced. 

I  did  not  see  the  hand  he  held  out.  "  I'm  in  no  mood 
for  sermons,  and  can't  appreciate  your  recent  actions  as 
they  perhaps  deserve,"  I  said;  and  the  sergeant's  eyes 
twinkled  mischievously. 

"  It  should  not  be  that  difficult ;  and  ye  have  the  con- 
solation that  we  served  the  State,"  he  said.  "  It  was  in 
the  interests  of  justice  we — well — we  made  use  of  ye 
to  stalk  the  other  man." 

"  There's  no  use  pretending  I'm  grateful,"  I  com- 
menced; but  Dixon  broke  into  a  boisterous  laugh,  and 
the  sergeant's  face  grew  so  humorous  that  my  own  re- 
laxed and  we  made  friends  again.  The  reunion  had  not 
long  been  consummated  when  a  rattle  of  wheels,  followed 


260     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

by  the  tramp  of  many  feet  and  the  wheezy  strains  of  a 
cornet,  rose  from  below,  and,  striding  to  the  window,  I 
said  with  dismay :  "  Lock  the  door.  They're  coming 
with  a  band  and  torches  now." 

"  I'm  thinking  ye  need  not,"  said  Mackay  dryly.  "  It's 
a  farewell  to  Miss  Haldane  they're  giving." 

We  gathered  at  the  opened  window,  looking  down  at 
a  striking  spectacle.  A  vehicle  stood  waiting,  and  behind 
it,  lighted  by  the  glow  of  kerosene  torches,  a  mass  of 
faces  rilled  the  street.  The  heads  were  uncovered  almost 
simultaneously,  and  Lucille  Haldane  appeared  upon  the 
hotel  steps,  with  her  attendants  behind  her.  At  first  she 
shrank  back  a  little  from  the  gaze  of  the  admiring  crowd, 
to  whom  her  spirit  and  beauty  had  doubtless  appealed; 
but  when  one  of  them  urged  something  very  respect- 
fully, with  his  hat  in  his  hand,  she  moved  forward  a  pace 
and  stood  very  erect,  a  slight  but  queenly  figure,  looking 
down  at  them. 

"  I  am  honored,  gentlemen,"  she  said  falteringly, 
though  her  voice  gained  strength.  "  It  was  merely  a 
duty  I  did,  but  I  am  gratified  that  it  pleased  you,  just 
because  it  shows  that  all  of  us  are  proud  of  our  country 
and  eager,  for  its  credit,  to  crush  oppression  and  see 
justice  done  to  the  downtrodden." 

The  street  rang  with  the  cheer  that  followed,  and 
when  Dixon  seized  his  hat  the  action  was  infectious. 
The  next  minute  we  were  moving  forward  amid  the 
ranks  of  the  enthusiastic  crowd  behind  the  vehicle,  which 
jolted  slowly  towards  the  station;  and  I  discovered  later 
that  the  uncomfortable  sensation  at  the  back  of  my  neck 
was  caused  by  the  hot  oil  from  a  torch,  which  dripped 
upon  it.  In  the  meantime  I  noticed  nothing  but  the  sea 
of  faces,  the  tramp  of  feet,  and  the  final  burst  of  cheering 
at  the  station,  in  which  Mackay,  holding  aloft  his  forage 
cap,  joined  vociferously. 

"  It's  only  fit  and  proper.  She's  as  good  and  brave  as 
she's  bonny,"  he  said. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 
A   SECRET   TRIBUNAL 

SOME  little  time  had  elapsed  since  my  acquittal,  when, 
one  pleasant  summer  morning,  I  rode  out  from  the  rail- 
road settlement  bound  for  Bonaventure.  The  air  was 
soft  and  balmy,  the  sunshine  brilliant,  and  the  prairie 
sod,  which,  by  that  time,  had  in  most  years  grown  parched 
and  dry,  formed  a  springy  green  carpet  beneath  the 
horse's  feet.  There  had  but  once  before  been  such  a 
season  within  my  memory,  and  my  spirits  were  almost 
as  buoyant  as  the  wallet  in  my  pocket  was  heavy.  The 
lean  years  had  passed  and  left  us,  perhaps  a  little  more 
grave  in  face  and  quiet  in  speech,  to  look  forward  to  a 
brightening  future,  while  the  receipts  I  had  brought  back 
from  the  nearest  town  meant  freedom  at  least. 

I  was  also  unwearied  in  body,  for  the  roll  of  paper 
money  in  the  wallet  had  made  a  vast  difference  to  me, 
and  instead  of  riding  all  night  after  a  long  railroad  jour- 
ney, I  had  slept  and  breakfasted  well  at  the  wooden  hotel. 
Indeed,  I  almost  wondered  whether  I  were  the  same 
man  who  had  previously  ridden  that  way  in  a  state  of 
sullen  desperation,  spurred  on  by  hatred  and  dogged 
obstinacy  instead  of  hope.  Now  I  was,  however,  rather 
thankful  than  jubilant,  for  my  satisfaction  was  tem- 
pered by  a  perhaps  unusual  humility.  Steel,  Thorn,  and 
I  had,  in  our  own  blundering  fashion,  made  the  best  fight 
we  could,  but  it  was  the  generosity  of  others  and  the 
winds  of  heaven  which  had  brought  us  the  victory. 

Distance  counts  for  little  in  these  days,  when  the  steel 
track  and  the  modern  cargo  steamer  together  girdle  the 
face  of  the  globe;  and  the  loss  of  others  had  been  our 
gain.  There  had  been  scarcity  in  Argentina,  and  Aus- 
tralian grass  was  shriveling  for  want  of  rain.  Famine 
had  smitten  India,  and  the  great  cattle-barons  beyond  our 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

frontier  had  been  overbusily  engaged,  attempting  the 
extermination  of  the  smaller  settlers,  to  attend  their  legit- 
imate business ;  so  buyers  in  Europe  were  looking  to 
Canada  for  wheat  and  cattle.  Our  own  beasts  had 
flourished,  and  before  the  usual  season  we  had  driven 
every  salable  head  in  to  the  railroad,  riding  in  force  be- 
hind them.  That  drive  and  the  events  which  followed  it 
were  worth  remembering. 

I  sold  the  cattle  in  Winnipeg  for  excellent  prices,  and 
deducting  my  own  share  of  the  proceeds,  took  the  first 
train  westward  to  visit  Lane,  and  paid  him  down  three- 
fourths  of  the  balance  of  the  loan.  Having  bought  wis- 
dom dearly,  I  took  a  lawyer  with  me.  Lane  showed 
neither  surprise  nor  chagrin,  .though  he  must  have  felt 
both,  and  I  could  almost  admire  the  way  he  bore  defeat. 
He  was  less  a  man  than  a  money-making  machine^  and 
the  more  to  be  dreaded  for  his  absence  of  passion. 
Rage  was  apparently  as  unknown  to  him  as  pity,  and, 
though  he  knew  he  had  lost  Crane  Valley,  and  with  it 
the  completion  of  a  well-laid  scheme,  he  actually  pushed 
a  cigar-box  towards  me  as  he  signed  the  receipt.  I  drew 
a  deep  breath  of  relief  as  I  passed  the  papers  to  the 
lawyer,  for  the  harvest  would  more  than  cover  what 
remained  of  the  debt,  and  then  I  laid  down  certain  sums 
on  behalf  of  others.  Lane  smiled  almost  affably  as  he 
tossed  the  quittances  upon  the  table. 

"  They're  all  in  order,  Rancher.  A  capable  man 
don't  need  to  use  second-rate  trickery,  and  I'm  open  to 
allow  that  the  bull-frog  was  hard  to  squash,"  he  said. 

I  picketed  the  documents  and  went  out  in  silence. 
Speech  would  have  been  useless,  because  the  man  had  no 
sensibilities  that  could  be  wounded;  but  the  interview 
struck  me  as  a  grotesquely  commonplace  termination  of 
a  struggle  which  had  cost  me  months  of  misery.  Indeed, 
I  found  it  hard  to  convince  myself  that  what  had  hap- 
pened was  real,  and  the  heavy  burden  flung  off  at  last. 
Being  by  no  means  a  mere  passionless  money-making 
machine,  I  had,  nevertheless,  not  finished  with  Lane. 

It  was  evening  the  next  day  when  I  reached  Bona- 
venture,  and  was  shown  into  the  presence  of  its  owner, 


A    SECRET    TRIBUNAL  263 

who  had  lately  returned  there  from  the  East.  He  looked 
haggard,  and  did  not  rise  out  of  the  chair  he  lounged  in, 
though  his  voice  was  cordial.  "  You  have  been  success- 
ful, Ormesby.  I  can  see  it  by  your  face,"  he  said. 

"  I  have,  sir,"  I  answered.  "  More  so  than  I  dared  to 
hope,  and  I  fancy  you  will  be  astonished  when  you  count 
these  bills.  The  Bonaventure  draft  played  a  leading  part 
in  my  release,  and  now  I  find  it  difficult  to  realize  that 
the  luck  has  changed  at  last." 

It  was  not  quite  dark  outside,  but  the  curtains  were 
drawn,  and  Haldane  sat  beside  a  table  littered  with  papers 
under  a  silver  reading-lamp.  His  face  looked  curiously" 
ascetic  and  thin,  but  the  smile  in  his  keen  eyes  was 
genial.  Boone  sat  opposite  him  smoking,  and  nodded 
good-humoredly  to  me. 

"  You  will  soon  get  used  to  prosperity,  and  there  is 
no  occasion  for  gratitude,"  Haldane  said,  tossing  the  roll 
of  paper  money  across  the  table,  but  taking  up  the  ac- 
count I  laid  beside  it.  "  I  notice  that  you  have  earned 
me  a  profit  of  twenty  per  cent.  You  have  tolerable  busi- 
ness talents  in  your  own  direction,  Ormesby,  and  I  shall 
expect  your  good  counsel  in  the  practical  management  of 
Bonaventure  which  I  have  undertaken." 

"  The  management  of  Bonaventure  ?  "  I  said,  and  Hal- 
dane's  forehead  grew  wrinkled  as  he  nodded. 

"  Exactly.  The  verdict  has  been  given.  No  more 
exciting  corners  or  supposititious  heaping  up  of  un- 
earned increments  for  me.  I  am  sentenced  by  the 
specialists  to  a  dormant  life  and  open-air  exercise,  and 
have  accordingly  chosen  the  rearing  of  cattle  on  the 
salubrious  prairie." 

I  guessed  what  that  sentence  meant  to  a  man  of  his 
energies;  but  he  had  accepted  it  gracefully,  and  I  was 
almost  startled  when  he  said :  "  Do  you  know  that  I 
envied  you,  Ormesby,  even  when  things  looked  worst 
for  you  ? " 

I  could  only  murmur  a  few  not  overappropriate  words 
of  sympathy,  though  I  fancied  that  had  Haldane  been 
under  the  same  grip  he  might  have  envied  me  less. 

"  It  takes  time  to  grow  used  to  idleness,  which  is  why 


264     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

I  sent  for  you  to-night,"  he  said,  with  a  swift  resumption 
of  his  usual  tone.  "  I  purpose  to  teach  Lane  that  he  is 
not  altogether  so  omnipotent  as  he  believes  himself — 
partly  by  way  of  amusement  and  to  forward  certain 
views  of  my  own,  and  partly  because  my  younger 
daughter  insists  that  he  is  a  menace  to  every  honest  man 
on  the  prairie.  Boone  appears  inclined  to  agree  with 
her." 

"  I  might  even  go  a  little  further,  sir,"  said  Boone. 

Haldane  ignored  the  comment,  and  pointed  to  the 
papers,  of  which  there  appeared  to  be  a  bushel.  "  I  have 
been  posting  myself  in  my  new  profession,  and  conclude 
that  the  prospects  for  grain  and  live  stock  are  encourag- 
ing," he  said.  "  News  from  Chile,  California,  and  the 
Austral,  all  confirm  this  view;  and,  remembering  it,  we 
will  consider  Lane's  position.  Boone  has  taken  consider- 
able pains  to  discover  that,  as  I  expected,  his  resources 
are  far  from  inexhaustible,  and  circumstances  point  to 
the  fact  that  he  has  set  his  teeth  in  too  a  big  morsel.  At 
present  neither  the  speculative  public  nor  would-be 
emigrants  have  grasped  the  position,  and  therefore  Lane 
would  get  little  if  he  realized  on  his  stolen  lands  just 
now." 

"  That  is  plain ;  but  what  results  from  it  ?  "  I  said. 

"  Prosperity  to  poor  men,  according  to  my  daughter ; " 
and  Haldane's  smile  was  not  wholly  cynical.  "  We  pur- 
pose that  he  should  realize  as  soon  as  possible.  Boone 
discovered  that  he  is  raising  money  to  carry  on  by  quietly 
selling  out  his  stock  in  the  Investment  Company  which 
has  consistently  backed  him,  and  I  feel  inclined  for  a 
speculation  in  that  direction,  especially  as  the  public  will 
shortly  be  invited  to  increase  the  company's  capital. 
Lastly,  I  am  in  possession  of  accurate  information,  while 
Lane  is  not.  Contrary  to  general  opinion,  the  railroad 
will  be  hurried  through  very  shortly." 

It  was  great  news,  and  the  possible  downfall  of  my 
enemy  perhaps  the  least  of  it.  It  implied  swift  prosperity 
for  all  that  district,  and  while  I  stared  at  the  speaker  the 
blood  surged  to  my  forehead.  Though  fate  had  robbed 
me  of  the  best,  part  of  what  I  had  toiled,  and  fought,  and 


A    SECRET    TRIBUNAL  265 

suffered  for  was  to  come  about  at  last ;  and  the  calmness 
of  the  others  appeared  unnatural.  Haldane's  eyes  were 
keen,  but  he  showed  no  sign  of  unusual  interest ;  Boone's 
face  was  merely  grim,  and  I  guessed  that  the  man 
whose  heel  had  been  on  my  neck  would  fare  ill  between 
them. 

"  If  he  had  used  legitimate  weapons  one  could  almost 
be  sorry  for  him,"  I  said.  "  It  will  try  even  his  nerve  to 
lose  all  he  has  plotted  for  when  the  prize  is  actually,  if 
he  knew  it,  within  his  grasp." 

"  He  deserves  no  mercy,"  Boone  broke  in.  "  This  is 
justice,  Ormesby,  neither  more  nor  less;  and  unless  we 
cripple  him  once  for  all  he  will  take  hold  again  with  the 
first  bad  season.  What  you  will  shortly  hear  should 
demonstrate  the  necessity  for  decisive  measures ;  but  our 
host  forgot  to  mention  that  he  declines  to  profit  indi- 
vidually by  this  opportunity." 

"  If  anyone  wishes  to  learn  my  virtues  he  can  apply 
to  certain  company  promoters  in  Montreal,"  said  Hal- 
dane  languidly.  "  Boone  will  remember  that  I  came  here 
to  farm  for  my  health,  and  have  been  coerced  into  assist- 
ing at  this  Vehmgericht.  Those  wheels,  however,  give 
warning  that  the  first  sitting  will  commence." 

A  minute  or  two  later  I  started  wrathfully  to  my  feet 
as  Niven  was  ushered  into  the  room.  He  on  his  part 
seemed  equally  astonished,  and,  I  think,  would  have 
backed  out  again,  but  that  Boone  adroitly  slammed  the 
door  behind  him.  It  may  be  mentioned  that  he  had  been 
tried  in  my  place,  and,  to  the  disgust  of  Sergeant  Mackay, 
just  escaped  conviction. 

"  I  need  not  introduce  Mr.  Ormesby,  who  will  kindly 
resume  his  place,"  said  Haldane  pleasantly.  "  Sit  down 
and  choose  a  cigar  if  you  feel  like  it.  You  sent  word 
you  wanted  to  talk  to  me  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  want  to  talk  to  that  man ; "  and  Niven 
scowled  at  me,  while  Haldane  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  can't  turn  him  out,  you  see.  Now  hadn't  you  better 
explain  what  you  want  with  me  ?  " 

There  was  a  languid  contempt  beneath  the  speaker's 
surface  good-humor  which  was  not  lost  on  the  fidgeting 


266     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

man;  but  he  lighted  a  cigar  with  an  air  of  bravado,  and 
commenced : 

"  Thinking  over  things,  I  figured  both  you  and  Adams 
had  your  knife  in  Lane ;  "  and  Haldane's  mild  surprise 
was  excellently  assumed.  "  Well,  I've  got  my  own  knife 
in  him,  too.  It's  this  way.  Lane  put  up  the  money  for 
me  to  buy  out  Ormesby,  and  made  a  mighty  close  bar- 
gain, thinking  I  daren't  kick.  It  would  have  been  in- 
convenient, and  I  didn't  mean  to;  but  when  those  blame 
police  ran  me  in  for  a  thing  I  never  done,  he  just  turns 
his  back,  and  wouldn't  put  up  a  dollar  to  defend  me! 
'  I've  no  use  for  blunderers  of  your  kind/  says  he." 

"  One  could  understand  that  it  is  necessary  for  him  to 
make  sure  of  his  subordinates*  abilities,"  said  Haldane 
reflectively ;  and  Niven,  who  stared  hard  at  him,  appeared 
to  gulp  down  something  before  he  proceeded. 

"  Well,  he  can't  fool  with  me,  and  it  comes  to  this. 
I'm  recorded  owner  of  Gaspard's  Trail;  paid  for  it  with 
my  own  check — Lane  fixed  that  up.  Now,  what  I  want 
to  ask  you  is,  how's  Lane  going  to  turn  me  out  if  I  hold 
on  to  the  place  ?  Strikes  me  he  can't  do.  it." 

In  spite  of  this  assurance  the  speaker  looked  distinctly 
eager  until  Haldane  answered :  "  We  need  not  discuss 
the  moral  aspect  of  the  case,  because  it  apparently  hasn't 
one,  and  you  might  not  understand  it  if  it  had.  Speak- 
ing from  a  purely  business  point  of  view,  I  feel  toler- 
ably certain  that,  in  the  circumstances,  he  would  not 
take  legal  proceedings  against  you,  though  I  have  no 
doubt  he  might  arrange  the  affair  in  some  other  way." 

"  Feel  quite  sure  ? "  asked  Niven.  And  Haldane 
answered :  "  I  may  say  I  do." 

Niven's  grin  of  triumph  would  have  sickened  any 
honest  man,  but  I  was  not  sorry  for  his  employer.  "  I 
guess  I'll  take  my  chances  of  the  other  way,  and  I'm 
coming  straight  to  business.  Will  you  stand  behind  me? 
It's  not  going  to  be  a  charity.  There  is  money  in  Gas- 
pard's Trail,  and  I'm  open  to  make  a  fair  deal  with  the 
man  who  sees  me  through." 

I  saw  Haldane's  lips  set  tightly  for  a  moment,  and  my 
hand  itched  for  a  good  hold  of  Niven's  collar ;  but  the 


A    SECRET    TRIBUNAL  267 

master  of  Bonaventure  next  regarded  him  with  a  quiet 
amusement  which  appeared  disconcerting. 

"  I  fancy  your  worthy  master  was  correct  when  he 
described  you  as  a  blunderer,"  he  said.  "  It  would  be 
quite  impossible  for  me  to  make  a  bargain  of  that — or 
any  other — kind  with  you.  You  might  also  have  added 
that  he  inspired  you  to  more  than  the  buying  of  Gas- 
pard's  Trail." 

There  was  pluck  in  Niven,  for  he  laughed  offensively. 
"  I  got  my  verdict,  and  if  you  won't  deal  I  may  as  well 
be  going.  Anyhow,  you've  told  me  what  I  most  wanted 
to  know." 

He  departed  without  further  parley,  and  Haldane 
smiled  at  me.  "  It  would  have  been  a  pity  to  detain 
him,  and  Lane  was  wrong  in  choosing  an  understudy  he 
could  not  scare  into  submission.  That  rascal  will  hold 
on  to  Gaspard's  Trail,  and  the  loss  of  it  will  further 
hamper  his  master." 

Some  little  time  passed,  and  Boone,  who  appeared 
impatient,  said  at  last :  "  She  is  late ;  but  Gordon  may 
have  been  too  busy  to  drive  her  over  earlier,  and  she 
promised  me  faithfully  that  she  would  come." 

Haldane  said  nothing,  though  he  seemed  dubious  until 
there  was  another  sound  of  wheels,  and  I  had  a  second 
surprise  when  a  lady  was  ushered  into  the  room,  for  I 
could  scarcely  believe  my  eyes  when  I  saw  that  it  was 
Redmond's  daughter.  She  had  changed  greatly  from 
the  girl  who  called  down  vengeance  on  the  oppressor 
when  we  brought  her  father  home,  although  the  glitter 
in  her  eyes  and  the  intentness  of  her  face  showed  the 
strain  of  emotional  nature  in  her.  Still,  she  was  hand- 
somely and  tastefully  dressed,  and  carried  herself  with 
dignity. 

"  This  is  Mr.  Haldane,  Miss  Redmond,  and  I  am  sure 
he  will  be  grateful  to  you  for  coming,"  said  Boone,  who 
I  noticed  appeared  relieved  when  the  new  arrival  laid  a 
packet  on  the  table.  "  I  may  explain  for  Ormesby's 
benefit  that  Miss  Redmond,  who  is  winning  fame  as  a 
singer,  has  something  of  importance  to  show  him,"  he 
added. 


268     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

The  girl's  hand  was  very  cold  when  it  touched  my  own, 
and  her  movements  nervous  as  she  drew  a  book  in 
tattered  binding  out  of  its  wrappings. 

"  I  hope  Mrs.  Gordon  will  spare  you  as  long  as  pos- 
sible, and  that  your  visit  to  the  prairie  will  do  you  good," 
said  Haldane,  placing  a  chair  for  her. 

"  Once  I  fancied  I  could  never  look  at  the  prairie 
without  a  shudder,  but  of  late  I  have  been  longing  for 
sunshine  and  air,  and  shall  perhaps  be  happier  when  this 
is  over,"  said  the  girl.  "  It  is  a  very  hard  thing  I  have 
to  do,  and  I  must  tell  you  the  whole  painful  story." 

"  We  can  understand  that  it  must  be,"  said  Haldane 
gently. 

"  When  I  left  home  for  Winnipeg  I  joined  a  second- 
rate  variety  company.  I  had  inherited  a  gift  for  singing, 
and  those  who  heard  me  were  pleased  with  the  old  Irish 
ballads  my  mother  taught  me.  So  there  was  soon  no 
fear  of  poverty,  and  I  was  trying  to  bury  the  past,  when, 
the  night  I  first  sang  to  a  packed  audience  in  Winnipeg, 
it  was  once  more  dragged  up  before  me.  I  came  home 
from  what  the  newspapers  said  was  a  triumph,  and  be- 
cause one  critic  had  questioned  a  verse  of  an  old  song 
I  looked  for  a  book  of  my  mother's  among  the  relics  I 
had  brought  from  the  prairie.  I  found — this — instead." 

Ailin  Redmond  ceased  with  a  little  gasp.  And  glanc- 
ing at  the  dilapidated  account  book  she  touched,  I  won- 
dered what  power  it  could  have  had  to  change  her 
triumph  into  an  agony. 

"I  sat  all  that  night  beside  the  stove  trying  to  force 
myself  to  burn  the  book,  and  yet  afraid,"  she  continued. 
"  Perhaps  we  are  superstitious ;  but  I  felt  that  I  dare  not, 
and  its  secret  has  been  a  very  burden  ever  since.  Some- 
times I  thought  of  the  revenge  it  would  give  me,  and  yet 
I  could  not  take  it  without  blackening  my  father's 
memory.  So  I  kept  silence  until  my  health  commenced 
to  fail  under  the  strain,  and  meeting  Mr.  Boone  at 
B randan,  where  I  sang  at  the  time  Mr.  Ormesby's  trial 
filled  the  papers,  I  felt  I  must  tell  him  part  of  my  dis- 
covery. Had  the  trial  not  ended  as  it  did  he  would  have 
consulted  with  Lawyer  Dixon.  Afterwards,  though  I 
hated  Lane  the  more,  I  pledged  Mr.  Boone  to  secrecy, 


A    SECRET    TRIBUNAL  269 

and  kept  silent  until,  when  I  could  bear  the  load  no 
longer,  I  told  my  trouble  to  Pere  Louis.  '  If  you  only 
desire  vengeance  it  would  be  better  to  burn  the  book; 
but  if  you  can  save  innocent  men  from  persecution  and 
prevent  the  triumph  of  the  wicked,  silence  would  be  a 
sin/  he  said.  Then  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Boone  and  told  him 
I  would  show  the  papers  to  Mr.  Ormesby." 

I  opened  the  battered  volume  handed  me  with  a  strong 
sense  of  anticipation,  and,  as  I  did  so,  the  girl  shrank 
back  shivering.  Redmond's  writing  was  recognizable, 
and  I  thrilled  alternately  with  pity  and  indignation  against 
another  person  as  I  read  his  testimony.  Omitting  other 
details,  the  dated  entries,  arranged  in  debit  and  credit 
fashion,  told  the  whole  story. 

"  Deep  snow  and  stock  very  poor,"  the  first  I  glanced 
at  ran.  "  Received  from  Ormesby  three  loads  of  hay. 
Sure  'tis  a  decent  neighbor,  for  he  wouldn't  take  no  pay. 
Entered  so,  if  I  ever  have  the  luck,  to  send  it  back  to 
him. 

"  Plow-oxen  sick ;  horse-team  sore-backed ;  seven  days' 
plowing  done  by  Ormesby,  say — money  at  harvest,  or  to 
be  returned  in  help  stock  driving. 

"  Fifty  dollars  loan  from  Ormesby;  see  entry  over- 
due grocery  bill." 

"  Is  it  necessary  for  me  to  read  any  more  of  these?  " 
I  asked. 

"  No.  If  you  are  satisfied  that  he  at  least  recognized 
the  debt,  pass  on  to  the  other  marked  pages,"  answered 
the  writer's  daughter. 

I  set  my  lips  as  I  did  so,  for  there  was  only  one  infer- 
ence to  be  drawn  from  the  following  entries,  which  ran 
dated  in  a  series :  "  Demand  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
from  Lane.  No  credit,  ten  dollars  in  the  house.  Lane 
came  over,  and  part  renewed  the  loan  in  return  for  serv- 
ices to  be  rendered.  Black  curses  on  the  pitiless  devil! 
Took  twenty  head  of  prime  stock,  to  be  driven  to  the 
hollow  with  Ormesby's.  Started  out  with  the  stock  for 
Gaspard's  Trail." 

There  were  no  further  entries,  and  Miss  Redmond,  who 
had  been  watching  me,  said,  with  a  perceptible  effort: 
"  You  will  remember  all  those  dates  well.  Now  read 


270     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

what  is  written  on  the  loose  leaf.  When  I  came  in  one 
night  the  book  lay  on  the  table  with  that  leaf  projecting; 
but  as  my  father  was  always  fretting  over  the  accounts, 
I  did  not  glance  at  it  as  I  replaced  the  book." 

The  writing  was  blurred  and  scrawling — the  work  of 
an  unstable  man  in  a  moment  of  agony ;  and  some  of  the 
half-coherent  sentences  ran :  "  It  was  Lane  and  his 
master  the  devil  who  drove  me.  I  did  not  mean  to  do 
what  I  did;  but  when  the  fire  came  down,  remembered 
he  said  '  any  convenient  accident.'  I  knew  it  was  murder 
when  I  saw  Ormesby  with  the  blood  on  his  face." 
Further  lines  were  almost  unintelligible,  but  I  made  out, 
"  Judas.  No  room  on  earth.  Lane  says  he  is  dying 
fast.  You  will  hate  the  man  who  drove  me  for  ever  and 
ever." 

I  folded  up  the  paper,  and,  not  having  read  the  whole 
of  it,  handed  it  to  the  girl.  "  I  am  almost  sorry  you 
were  brave  enough  to  show  me  this ;  but  I  can  only  try 
to  forget  it,"  I  said. 

Miss  Redmond's  eyes  were  dry ;  but  she  moved  as  if  in 
physical  pain,  and  clenched  one  hand  as  she  said :  "  That 
secret  has  worn  me  down  for  weary  months,  and  I  dare 
not  change  my  mind  again.  I  shall  never  rest  until  it  is 
certain  that  wicked  man  shall  drive  no  one  else  to  destruc- 
tion. You  must  show  Mr.  Haldane  all  you  have  read." 

Haldane  laid  down  the  book,  and  sat  silent  for  at  least 
a  minute.  "  Will  you  please  tell  us,  Miss  Redmond,  how 
far  you  can  allow  us  to  make  use  of  this  ?  "  he  said. 

The  girl  shuddered  before  she  answered :  "  It  must 
not  be  made  public ;  but  if  in  any  other  way  you  can 
strike  Lane  down,  I  will  leave  it  you.  You  can  hardly 
guess  what  all  this  has  cost  me ;  but,  God  forgive  me, 
the  hate  I  feel  is  stronger  than  shame — and  his  last  words 
are  burned  into  my  brain." 

Ailin  Redmond  rose  as  she  spoke,  and  I  saw  that  part 
of  Pere  Louis's  admonition-  had  fallen  upon  stony 
ground.  Her  face  and  pose  were  what  they  had  been 
when  she  had  bidden  us  bring  the  dead  man  in.  She 
came  of  a  passionate  race;  but  there  had  also  been  a 
signal  lack  of  balance  in  her  father's  temperament,  and 


A    SECRET    TRIBUNAL  271 

perhaps  it  was  this  very  strain  of  wildness  which  had 
made  her  singing  a  success. 

Haldane,  with  expressions  of  sympathy,  led  her  to  the 
door,  and  returning,  sat  staring  straight  before  him  with 
a  curious  expression.  "  I  don't  know  that  the  stolid, 
emotionless  person  is  not  far  the  happiest,"  he  said  at 
last.  "  She  must  have  suffered  a  good  deal — poor  soul ; 
and,  even  allowing  that  you  had  not  seen  those  pitiful 
papers,  I'm  doubtful  if  you  acted  quite  wisely,  Boone. 
However,  the  question  now  is :  how  are  we  going  to  use 
them?" 

"  Nobody  but  ourselves  must  see  them,"  I  managed  to 
answer,  savage  as  I  was. 

"  I  would  make  one  exception,"  said  the  owner  of 
Bonaventure.  "  That  one  is  the  man  responsible.  It 
can  be  no  enlightenment  to  him,  and  the  fact  that  he 
would  not  suspect  us  of  any  reluctance  to  make  the  most 
of  our  power,  strengthens  our  ability  to  deal  with  him." 

Our  conference  ended  shortly,  and  when  we  joined 
the  others  I  saw  that  Lucille  Haldane  had  taken  Red- 
mond's daughter  under  her  wing.  How  she  had  managed 
it,  of  course  I  do  not  know ;  but  the  latter  appeared  com- 
forted already,  and  there  was  a  gentle  dimness  instead 
of  the  former  hard  glitter  in  her  eyes.  Then,  and  it  was 
not  for  the  first  time,  I  felt  that  I  could  have  bowed  down 
and  worshiped  the  Mistress  of  Bonaventure. 

It  was  evident  that  Boone  had  also  been  observant,  for 
he  afterwards  said,  with  unusual  gravity :  "  Women 
resembling  Miss  Lucille  Haldane  are  the  salt  of  this  sor- 
rowful world.  There  was  only  one  I  ever  knew  to  com- 
pare with  her,  and  she,  being  too  good  for  it,  was  trans- 
lated to  what,  if  only  because  she  was  called  there,  must 
be  a  better." 

I  agreed  with  his  first  statement  entirely,  and  took  his 
word  for  the  rest;  but  made  no  answer.  Boone  did  not 
appear  to  desire  one,  and  again  a  strange  longing  filled 
his  eyes  while  the  shadow  crept  into  his  face.  I  remem- 
bered it  was  written  that  the  heart  knows  its  own 
bitterness. 


CHAPTER   XXV 
A    CHANGE   OF    TACTICS 

THE  fires  of  sunset  were  fading  low  down  on  the  verge 
of  the  prairie  when  I  spoke  for  the  last  time  with  Beatrice 
Haldane,  as  it  happened,  beside  the  splendid  wheat.  It 
was  changing  from  green  to  ochre,  and  there  was  a 
play  of  varied  light  athwart  the  rigid  blades,  which  in  its 
own  way  emphasized  the  symmetry  of  the  tall  figure  in 
pale-tinted  draperies.  Miss  Haldane  was  stately  of 
presence,  but  it  was  symbolic  of  the  difference  between 
us  that  while  we  of  the  prairie  ever  turned  our  eyes  in- 
stinctively towards  the  West,  she  stood  looking  back 
towards  civilization  and  the  darkening  East,  with  a  cold 
green  brilliancy  burning  behind  her  head.  It  matched 
the  face  projected  against  it,  which  was  that  of  a  statue, 
perfect  in  modeling,  as  I  still  think,  if  almost  as  colorless 
and  serene.  Beatrice  Haldane  was  very  beautiful,  and 
every  curve  and  fold  of  the  simple  dress  was  immaculate 
and  harmonious  because  it  seemed  a  part  of  her. 

My  threadbare  jean  clung  shapelessly  about  me,  there 
was  thick  dust  on  my  old  leggings  and  a  rent  in  my 
broad  hat,  which  trifles  were,  by  comparison,  not  with- 
out significance.  Beatrice  Haldane  was  clearly  born  to 
take  a  leading  place,  with  the  eyes  of  many  upon  her, 
where  life  pulsed  fastest  in  the  older  world.  I  was  a 
plain  rancher,  conscious,  in  spite  of  theories  concerning 
its  dignity,  of  the  brand  of  rude  labor  and  the  stain  of 
the  soil ;  but  at  least  my  eyes  were  opened  so  that  I  had 
seen  the  utter  impossibility  of  a  once  cherished  dream. 

"  The  prairie  is  very  beautiful  to-night,  and  surely  this 
grain  promises  a  splendid  yield,"  she  said.  "  I  am  glad 
that  it  is  so,  for  it  will  leave  a  pleasant  memory.  I  shall 
probably  never  stand  beside  the  wheat  again." 

This,    I   knew,   was   true.     Beatrice   Haldane   would 

272 


A    CHANGE    OF    TACTICS  273 

leave  for  Montreal  and  Paris  in  a  day  or  two,  and,  pay- 
ing Bonaventure  a  farewell  visit,  she  had  ridden  over 
with  her  father,  who  had  business  with  me.  Strange  to 
say,  I  could  now  contemplate  her  approaching  marriage 
with  equanimity. 

"  There  are  many  drawbacks,  but  it  is  a  good  country," 
I  answered  thoughtfully. 

Beatrice  Haldane  looked  at  me,  and  again  I  felt  that 
she  could  still  draw  my  soul  to  the  surface  for  inspec- 
tion if  she  desired  to.  I  also  fancied  she  knew  her 
power,  and  wished  to  exercise  it,  but  not  from  pride  in 
its  possession. 

"  And  yet  you  can  now  hardly  hope  for  more  than  a 
laborious  life  and  moderate  prosperity.  The  prairie  is 
often  dreary,  and  the  toil  almost  brutalizing.  Are  you 
still  content  ?  " 

The  sympathy  in  the  voice  robbed  the  words  of  any 
sting,  and  I  answered  cheerfully :  "  It  is  all  that  you 
say;  but  there  are  compensations,  and  I  think  no  effort 
is  thrown  away.  I  can  only  repeat  the  old  argument. 
One  can  feel  that  he  is  playing  a  useful  part  in  a  com- 
prehensive scheme  even  in  the  muddiest  tramp  down  a 
half-thawn  furrow,  and  that  every  ear  of  wheat  called 
up  or  added  head  of  cattle  is  needed  by  the  world.  Per- 
haps the  chief  care  of  three-fourths  of  humanity  concerns 
their  daily  bread.  Of  course,  our  principal  motive  is  the 
desire  to  attain  our  own,  and  you  may  not  understand 
that  there  is  a  satisfaction  in  the  mere  discovering  of 
how  much  one  can  do  without,  and,  possibly  as  a  result 
of  this,  that  one's  physical  nature  rises  equal  to  the 
strain." 

"And  what  do  you  gain — the  right  to  work  still 
harder  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I  can  grasp  the  half-formed  ideal 
in  your  mind,  and  it  is  old,  for  thousands  of  years  before 
Thoreau  men  enlarged  on  it.  Still,  it  has  always  seemed 
to  me  that  the  realization  is  only  possible  to  the  very  few, 
and  to  the  rest  the  result  mostly  destructive  to  the 
intellect." 

I  laughed  a  little.  "  And  I  am  very  much  of  the  rank 
and  file;  but  at  least  I  have  no  hope  of  emulating  either 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

the  medieval  devotees  or  the  modern  Hindoo  visionaries. 
We  practice  self-denial  from  the  prosaic  lack  of  money, 
or  to  save  a  little  to  sink  in  a  longer  furrow,  and  endure 
fatigue  more  often  to  pay  our  debts  than  to  acquire  a 
bank  balance.  Yet  the  result  is  not  affected.  The  world 
is  better  fed." 

"  Yes,"  she  said  thoughtfully.  "  It  seems  that  what- 
ever your  motives  may  be  these  things  possess  virtue  in 
themselves — but  the  virtues  do  not  necessarily  react  upon 
those  who  practice  them." 

'  That  is  true,"  I  answered.  "  Perhaps  it  is  the 
motives  that  count." 

Beatrice  Haldane  looked  away  towards  the  dying  fires. 
"  There  was  a  time  when  you  would  not  have  been 
content." 

The  wondrous  green  transparency  had  almost  gone, 
the  dew  touched  the  wheat,  and  we  stood  alone  in  the 
emptiness,  under  the  hush  that  crept  up  with  the  dimness 
from  the  east,  and  through  which  one  could  almost  hear 
the  thirsty  grasses  drink.  I  knew  now  that  I  had  never 
loved  Beatrice  Haldane  as  a  man  usually  loves  a  woman, 
but  had  offered  an  empty  homage  to  an  unreality.  Still, 
the  semblance  had  once  been  real  enough  to  me,  and  I 
could  not  wholly  hold  my  peace  and  let  her  go.  Further- 
more, both  she  and  her  sister  possessed  the  gift  of  forc- 
ing one's  inmost  thoughts,  and  there  was  a  power  in  the 
quiet  voice  stronger  than  my  will. 

"  No.  I  once  had  my  ambitions  and  an  ideal,"  I  said. 
"  At  first  their  realization  seemed  possible,  but  I  had  my 
lesson.  Even  when  I  knew  the  ideal  was  unattainable, 
the  knowledge  did  not  decrease  its  influence,  and  now, 
while  smiling  at  past  presumption,  I  can  at  least  cherish 
the  memory.  I  think  you  must  have  known  part  of  this." 

Beatrice  Haldane  had  by  knowledge  attained  to  a 
perfection  of  simplicity,  and,  while  my  own  was  either 
the  result  of  ignorance  or  born  in  me,  we  met  upon  it 
as  man  and  woman — the  latter  too  queenly  to  stoop  to 
any  small  assumption  of  diffidence. 

"  I  guessed  it  long  ago,  and  there  was  a  time  when 
I  was  pleased,"  she  said.  "  However,  it  was  doubtless 


A    CHANGE    OF    TACTICS  275 

well  for  you  that,  when  contact  with  the  world  taught 
me  what  we  both  were,  I  knew  it  was  impossible.  When 
we  met  again  on  the  prairie,  you  could  not  see  that  I 
was  not  the.  girl  you  knew  in  England.  She  had,  in 
the  meantime,  bought  enlightenment  dearly;  though 
whether  it  or  her  earlier  fancies  were  nearer  the  hidden 
truth  she  does  not  know." 

"  In  one  respect  you  can  never  change  to  me,"  I  said. 
"  The  sunny-faced  girl  in  England  will  always  live  in  my 
memory." 

Beatrice  Haldane  smiled,  though  the  fast  fading  light 
showed  the  weariness  in  her  eyes.  "  Until  you  find  the 
substance  better  than  the  shadow;  and  she  must  always 
have  been  unreal.  Still,  we  are  not  proof  against  such 
assurances,  and  I  am  even  now  partly  pleased  to  hear  you 
say  so.  Do  you  know  that  you  have  shamed  me,  Harry 
Ormesby  ?  " 

'  That  would  be  impossible,"  I  said ;  and  my  com- 
panion smiled. 

"  Hold  fast  by  your  blunt  directness  if  you  are  wise," 
she  said.  "  I  was  blinded  by  the  critical  faculty,  and  you 
rebuked  me  by  clinging  to  your  visionary  ideal,  while  I — 
misjudged  you.  I  do  not  mind  admitting  now  that  it 
hurt  me,  the  more  so  when  I  found  that  Lucille,  being — 
and  there  is  truth  in  the  phrase — unspotted  by  the  world, 
believed  in  you  implicitly.  It  was  because  of  this  I 
allowed  you  to  speak  as  you  have  done.  I  felt  that  I 
must  ask  your  forgiveness,  because  we  shall  probably 
never  meet  again." 

Whether  Beatrice  Haldane  was  correct  in  her  own 
estimate  I  do  not  know ;  but  she  was  the  most  queenly 
woman  I  had  ever  met,  and  I  lifted  the  rent  hat  as  I 
said :  "  Circumstances  betrayed  me,  and  you  could  do 
no  wrong.  Even  if  that  had  been  possible,  how  far 
would  one  suspicion  count  against  all  that  the  girl  in 
England  has  done  for  me?  Now  it  only  remains  for  us 
to  part  good  friends — and  with  full  sincerity  I  wish  you 
every  happiness." 

:'  Thank  you,"  said  Beatrice  quietly ;  and  without 
another  word  we  walked  back  towards  the  house  to- 


276     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

gether  through  the  velvet  dusk.  I  noticed  that  Lucille 
glanced  at  us  sharply  as  we  entered. 

:<  You  will  not  forget  our  appointment  in  Winnipeg," 
said  Haldane,  as  they  drove  away;  and  I  stood  still  long 
after  the  vehicle  had  melted  into  the  prairie.  What  I 
thought  I  do  not  remember;  but  it  was  with  a  dreamy 
calmness  that,  now  the  worst  had  passed,  I  returned  to 
Crane  Valley. 

Reluctance  mingled  with  my  anticipation  when  I  pro- 
ceeded to  Winnipeg  at  the  appointed  time.  The  harvest 
was  almost  ready,  and  a  brief  holiday  possibly  justifiable 
in  anticipation  of  that  time  of  effort ;  but  the  journey  was 
long  and  expensive,  while,  after  our  severe  economies,  I 
had  fallen  into  the  habit  of  slow  consideration  each  time 
I  spent  a  dollar.  Steel  laughed  when  I  said  so,  and 
pointed  to  the  grain.  "  It's  easier  to  get  used  to  pros- 
perity than  the  other  thing,"  he  said.  "  There  is  plenty 
money  yonder  to  start  you  again.  If  necessary  you  can 
remember  you  have  earned  a  good  time." 

The  sight  of  the  long  waves  of  deepening  ochre  that 
rolled  before  the  warm  breeze  was  very  reassuring, 
though  belief  came  slowly,  and  for  days  I  had  feared  some 
fresh  disaster.  Their  rhythmical  rustle,  swelled  by  the 
murmur  of  the  wheat  heads  and  the  patter  of  the  oats, 
made  sweet  music,  for  their  undertone  was  hope,  while 
the  flash  and  flicker  of  the  bending  blades  presaged  the 
glitter  of  hard-won  gold — gold  that  would  set  me  a  free 
man  again.  Then  I  was  ashamed,  and  my  voice  a  trifle 
husky,  as  I  said :  "  I  am  certainly  going  to  Winnipeg, 
Steel.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  others  the  harvest  would 
have  left  me  in  the  grip  of  Lane,  and  now  that  the  time 
has  come  I  mean  to  stand  by  them." 

I  boarded  the  cars  the  more  contentedly  that  there 
was  a  note  in  my  pocket  from  Lucille  Haldane.  "  Father 
tells  me  the  time  is  ripe  for  you  and  your  friends  to 
strike  at  last,"  it  ran.  "  I  want  to  ask  you  to  assist  him 
in  every  way  you  can;  and  I  wait  anxiously  to  hear  of 
your  success." 

I  did  not  understand  the  whole  plan  of  campaign,  but 
gathered  that  Haldane,  with  the  support  of  our  prairie 


A    CHANGE    OF    TACTICS  277 

committee,  would  make  a  "  bear  "  attack  on  the  company 
— which,  while  Lane  held  stock  in  it,  had  largely  financed 
him — and  I  looked  forward  with  keen  interest  to  the 
struggle.  We  others  had  done  our  best  with  plow  and 
bridle,  not  to  mention  birch  staff  and  fork;  but  we  had 
hitherto  acted  chiefly  on  the  defensive,  and  now  an  at- 
tack was  to  be  pushed  home  with  the  aid  of  money  and 
a  superior  intellect. 

Haldane  was  in  excellent  spirits  when,  accompanied 
by  Boone,  he  greeted  me  in  Winnipeg  station.  "  I  feel 
less  rusty  already,  and  you  look  several  years  younger 
than  you  did  a  few  months  ago,"  he  said.  "  But  we  have 
breakfast  ready,  and  can  talk  comfortably  over  it." 

The  meal  was  a  luxurious  one,  and  Haldane's  explana- 
tions interesting.  "  Mr.  Boone  has  taken  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  to  inquire  into  Lane's  affairs,  with  the  assistance 
of  a  man  Dixon  recommended.  Considering  the  diffi- 
culties, I  hardly  think  I  should  have  succeeded  better 
myself,"  he  said. 

Boone  said  this  was  an  unmerited  compliment;  and 
Haldane  laughed.  "  Well,  the  result,  as  anticipated,  is 
this.  Lane  has  most  of  his  money  locked  up  in  mort- 
gages which  he  does  not  wish  to  foreclose  on  immediately, 
while  we  conclude  that  the  rest  is  represented  by  shares 
in  the  Territories  Investment  Company,  which  concern 
proposes  to  increase  its  capital,  and,  as  somebody  has 
been  trying  to  sell  that  stock  quietly  in  small  lots,  one  may 
decide  that  he  is  short  of  money.  We  purpose  to  scare 
off  buyers  and  depreciate  his  shares  by  selling  them  in 
handfuls  as  publicly  as  possible;  or,  in  other  words,  to 
hammer  the  company." 

"  There  are  two  points  I  am  not  clear  about,"  I  said. 
"  We  have  not  the  stock  to  sell ;  and  wouldn't  it  be  a 
trifle  hard  on  innocent  shareholders  ?  " 

"  We  are  finding  out  your  capacities  by  degrees,"  said 
Haldane,  with  a  quizzical  glance  at  me.  "In  the  first 
place,  we  take  the  risk  of  being  able  to  procure  the  stock 
when  frightened  holders  rush  on  the  market.  If  they 
don't — well,  there  will  be  a  difficulty.  In  the  second 
place,  there  are  no  innocent  holders,  or  only  a  very  few. 


278     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

The  corporation  is  a  semi-private  concern — combination 
of  second-rate  sharpers  of  your  friend's  own  kidney ;  and 
the  few  outsiders  are  professional  speculators  who  take 
such  risks  as  they  come — they  are  only  now  thinking  of 
an  appeal  to  the  general  public.  Here  is  the  latest 
balance  sheet,  and  I  presume  you  are  not  anxious  to  see 
a  continuance  of  that  dividend  wrung  out  of  your  friends 
on  the  prairie." 

My  anger  flamed  up  once  more  as  I  glanced  at  the 
figures.  I  had  seen  how  that  profit  was  earned — not  by 
the  company's  agents,  but  by  careworn  men  and  suffer- 
ing women,  who  toiled  under  a  steadily  increasing 
burden,  which  was  crushing  the  life  out  of  them.  I  had 
also  received  a  laconic  message  from  a  combination  of 

such  as  these :  "  Have  paid  in dollars  to  the  B.  O. 

M.  We'll  sell  our  boots  to  back  you  if  Haldane's  stand- 
ing in.  Do  the  best  you  can." 

Then  I  brought  my  fist  down  on  the  table  as  I  said: 
"  I'd  walk  out  a  beggar  to-morrow  before  that  should 
happen.  If  this  concern  lives  only  by  such  plunder,  for 
heaven's  sake  let  us  demolish  it.  I  can't  eat  another 
morsel.  Isn't  it  time  to  begin  ?  " 

Haldane  smiled,  and  touched  a  bell.  "  My  principal 
broker  should  be  waiting." 

A  little,  spectacled  man,  with  a  shrill  voice  and  insig- 
nificant appearance,  was  ushered  in,  and,  as  I  inspected 
him,  Haldane's  choice  reminded  me  of  the  Hebrew  shep- 
herd's sling.  He  appeared  a  very  feeble  weapon  to  use 
against  the  giant  who  had  oppressed  us  so  grievously. 
"  Territories  have  been  offering  at  several  dollars'  reduc- 
tion," he  said.  "  Don't  know  why,  unless  it's  the  rail- 
road uncertainty.  You  couldn't  get  hold  of  one  under 
full  premium  until  lately." 

The  speaker,  in  spite  of  his  declared  ignorance, 
answered  Haldane's  smile ;  and  the  latter  said :  "  You 
can  begin  at  a  further  five  dollars  down.  Come  round 
in  the  afternoon  and  tell  us  how  you  are  progressing. 
Isn't  there  a  race  meeting  somewhere  about  this  place 
to-day?" 

The  broker  said  there  was ;  and  I  was  astonished  when 


A    CHANGE    OF    TACTICS  279 

Haldane  suggested  that  we  might  as  well  attend  it,  for 
this  part  of  the  conflict  was  evidently  to  be  fought  on 
wholly  novel  lines.  We  drove  to  the  meeting,  and  after 
the  monotony  of  Crane  Valley  the  sight  of  the  light- 
hearted  crowd,  the  hum  of  voices  and  laughter,  the  gay 
dresses,  and,  above  all,  the  horses,  was  exhilarating. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  some  time  before  the  scene  com- 
pelled my  whole  attention,  for  the  issues  of  the  business 
which  had  brought  me  to  Winnipeg  appeared  far  too 
serious  to  justify  such  trifling.  By  degrees,  however,  I 
yielded  to  the  influence  of  the  stirring  spectacle,  and  was 
at  length  amazed  to  find  myself  shouting  wildly  with  the 
rest  when  a  handsome  chestnut  broke  out  from  the  ruck 
of  galloping  horses  a  furlong  from  the  post.  Then,  in- 
deed, for  a  few  seconds  I  was  oblivious  of  everything 
but  the  silk-clad  figure  and  the  beautiful  animal  rushing 
past  the  dim  sea  of  faces  in  the  blaze  of  sunshine  behind, 
while  the  roar  of  hoofs  and  the  human  clamor  set  me 
quivering.  It  was  all  so  different  from  anything  I  had 
heard  or  seen  on  the  silent  prairie.  Boone  returned  pres- 
ently, and  I  stared  at  the  silver  coins  he  placed  in  my 
palm. 

"  You  don't  look  satisfied,  Ormesby,  with  the  result 
of  your  few  dollars.  Are  you  sorry  I  did  not  lay  a 
decent  stake,  or  have  you  been  infected  by  Lane  ?  "  he 
said ;  and  I  answered  him  dryly :  "  I'm  sorry  that,  with- 
out telling  me,  you  staked  anything  at  all.  It  is  so  long 
since  I  had  any  money  to  risk  on  such  amusements — and 
it  does  not  seem  fair  to  the  anxious  men  waiting  on  the 
prairie." 

Haldane  laughed.  "  It  is  generally  wise  to  make  the 
most  of  a  pleasant  interlude,  because  the  average  man 
does  not  get  too  many  of  them.  If  this  strikes  you  as 
trifling,  Ormesby,  you  will  find  grim  enough  amusement 
before  we  are  through." 

It  was  afternoon  when  we  returned  to  the  city,  and  we 
recommenced  the  campaign  by  a  sumptuous  lunch,  dur- 
ing which  the  broker  came  in.  "  I've  been  offering  Ter- 
ritories until  I'm  hoarse,"  he  said.  "  There  was  some 
surprise  and  talking,  but  nobody  wanted  to  buy;  and, 


260    THE   MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

while  it's  an  honor  to  serve  you,  I  don't  see  much  of  a 
commission  in  this." 

"  You  will,  if  I  know  my  opponents,"  said  Haldane 
significantly.  "  Take  off  two  more  dollars,  and,  if  there 
are  any  buyers,  don't  let  them  think  you're  not  in  earnest. 
You  can  put  another  of  your  friends  on." 

The  broker  departed  and  left  me  wondering.  It  struck 
me  that  to  reduce  the  value  by  open  quotations  should 
have  been  enough,  without  saddling  ourselves  with  con- 
tracts when  we  did  not  hold  the  stock ;  but  it  seemed  that 
cautious  slowness  was  not  Haldane's  way.  He  next  in- 
sisted on  playing  billiards  with  me,  and  he  played  as  well 
as  I  did  badly,  for  my  fingers  had  grown  stiff  from  the 
grip  of  the  plow-stilts  and  bridle,  and  we  had  small 
opportunity  for  such  amusements  on  the  prairie.  Noth- 
ing of  importance  happened  during  the  remainder  of  the 
day,  but  I  have  a  clear  recollection  of  how  the  throb  of 
life  from  the  busy  city  reacted  on  me  as  we  sat  together 
on  a  balcony  outside  the  smoking-room  after  dinner.  It 
was  a  hot  night,  and  the  streets  were  filled  with  citizens 
seeking  coolness  in  the  open  air.  The  place  seemed 
alive  with  moving  figures  that  came  and  went  endlessly 
under  the  glare  of  the  great  arc  lights,  while  the  stir  and 
brilliancy  appeared  unreal  to  me.  The  air  throbbed  with 
voices,  the  clank  of  great  freight  trains  in  the  station, 
and  the  hum  of  trolley  cars ;  while  only  one  narrow  strip 
of  sky  appeared  between  the  rows  of  stores,  and  that 
strip  was  barred  by  a  maze  of  interlacing  wires.  I  felt 
as  though  I  had  awakened  from  a  century's  sleep  on  the 
prairie. 

"  Somewhat  different  from  Crane  Valley,"  said  Hal- 
dane, pointing  with  his  cigar  towards  the  crowded  wires. 
"  I  wonder  how  many  of  those  are  charged  with  our  busi- 
ness— it  is  tolerably  certain  that  some  of  them  are.  We 
have  cheerfully  thrown  down  the  glove,  and  now  the 
forces  of  fire  and  air  and  water  are  all  pressed  into  the 
service  of  spreading  our  challenge  across  the  continent. 
There's  a  mammoth  printing  machine  in  yonder  build- 
ing reeling  it  off  by  the  thousands  of  copies  every  hour 
in  its  commercial  reports,  and  those  papers  will  be  rushed 


A    CHANGE    OF    TACTICS  281 

east  and  west  to  warn  holders  in  Quebec  or  Vancouver 
to-night.  Also,  by  this  time,  Lane,  wherever  he  is,  will 
be  spending  money  like  water  to  keep  the  wires  hum- 
ming. Feel  uneasy  about  the  explosion  now  that  you 
have  helped  to  fire  the  train  ?  " 

"  I  feel  curious  both  as  to  why  you  should  take  so 
much  trouble  to  help  us,  sir,  and  as  to  the  enemy's  first 
move,"  I  said. 

"  To  keep  myself  from  rusting,  for  one  thing,  and  be- 
cause Lane  is  one  man  too  many  down  our  way,"  was  the 
careless  answer.  "  If  that  does  not  appear  a  sufficient 
motive  I  may  perhaps  mention  another  when  we  have 
won.  As  to  the  other  affair,  Lane  will,  so  long  as  his 
means  hold  out,  buy — or  urge  his  friends  to — while  we 
sell.  Just  how  far  can  you  and  the  men  behind  you  go?  " 

I  named  a  sum,  which  Haldane  noted.  "  With  what 
Boone  and  I  have  decided  to  put  up  it  will  be  enough  if 
all  goes  well.  If  not — but  we  will  not  trouble  about 
that.  This  contract  strikes  me  as  a  trifle  too  big  for 
Lane,"  he  said. 

I  retired  early,  but  scarcely  slept  all  night.  I  felt  that 
the  struggle  would  commence  in  earnest  on  the  mor- 
row, and  Haldane's  words  had  warned  me  that  our  nerve 
and  treasury  might  be  taxed  to  the  utmost  before  we 
made  good  the  challenge  we  had  so  lightly,  it  seemed  to 
me,  sent  broadcast  across  the  Dominion. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 
THE   TURNING   OF   THE   TIDE 

I  ROSE  early  next  morning1,  and  a  stroll  through  the 
awakening  city,  which  was  cool  and  fresh  as  yet,  braced 
me  for  the  stress  of  the  day.  Haldane  looked  thought- 
ful at  breakfast ;  Boone  was  silent  and  suspiciously  stolid, 
for  he  betrayed  himself  by  the  very  slowness  with  which 
he  folded  back  the  newspaper  brought  him  to  expose  the 
commercial  reports.  He  handed  it  to  Haldane,  who 
nodded,  saying  nothing.  It  was  a  relief  to  me,  at  least, 
when  the  meal  was  over,  but  afterwards  the  morning 
passed  very  heavily,  for  I  spent  most  of  it  haunting  a 
dark  telephone  box,  where  Haldane  received  and 
dispatched  cabalistic  messages.  I  did  not  approve  of 
conflict  of  this  description,  in  which  the  uninitiated  could 
neither  follow  the  points  lost  or  won  nor  see  the  enemy, 
and  I  should  have  preferred  the  hay-fork  and  a  back- 
ground of  sunlit  prairie. 

Noon  seemed  a  very  long  time  coming,  and  the  report 
of  the  broker  who  arrived  with  it  far  from  reassuring. 
"  We  have  sold  a  fair  block  of  stock,  and  I  brought  you 
the  contracts  to  sign,"  he  said.  "  Settlement  and  all  con- 
ditions as  usual.  Each  time  that  we  offered  a  round  lot 
Graham's  salesman  and  another  man  took  them  up." 

"  Lane  is  taking  hold.  He  has  stirred  up  his  allies," 
said  Haldane.  "  I'll  put  my  name  to  these  papers,  and 
you  can  call  down  another  few  dollars  when  you  start 
again.  I  suppose  there  is  no  other  person  selling?" 

"  No,"  said  the  broker.  "  There  were  a  good  many 
other  men  curious  about  our  game,  and  I  fancy  one  or 
two  of  them  had  instructions;  but  they  did  nothing. 
We'll  work  up  a  sensation  during  the  afternoon." 

It  would  have  greatly  pleased  me  to  hear  of  other 
persons  parting  with  their  shares;  but  Haldane  still 


THE    TURNING    OF    THE    TIDE        283 

looked  confident,  and  Boone  appeared  to  place  implicit 
faith  in  his  generalship.  I,  however,  grew  more  and 
more  anxious  as  the  afternoon  dragged  by,  for  my  sense 
of  responsibility  to  the  men  behind  me  increased  when 
each  tinkle  of  the  telephone  bell  was  followed  by  a  mes- 
sage reporting  further  sales.  Somebody  was  steadily 
taking  up  the  stock  we  offered,  and  when,  for  the  fourth 
time,  Haldane  had  answered  my  question,  "  Any  sign 
of  weakness  yet?"  in  the  negative,  I  could  stay  indoors 
no  longer,  and  found  it  a  relief  to  stride  briskly  through 
the  busy  streets  towards  a  grain  buyer's  offices. 

My  own  personal  risk  was  heavy  enough,  but  I  knew 
also  what  it  had  cost  my  prairie  neighbors  to  raise  the 
sum  they  had  credited  me  with,  and  I  felt  that,  if 
beaten,  I  dare  not  return  and  face  them  with  the  news 
that,  losing  all  in  an  unsuccessful  gamble,  we  had  left 
them  doubly  helpless  at  the  mercy  of  a  triumphant  enemy. 
The  interview  with  the  grain  merchant  was,  however,  in 
a  measure  comforting.  He  admitted  that  prices  were 
improving,  stated  approximate  figures  which  almost  sur- 
prised me,  and  volunteered  the  information  that  when 
my  crop  should  be  gathered  he  would  be  glad  to  make  me 
an  offer.  Although  prospects  were  good  in  Western 
Canada,  cereals  were  scarce  everywhere  else;  and  I  re- 
turned so  involved  in  mental  calculations  that  I  walked 
into  several  citizens,  one  of  whom  swore  fluently^  He 
wore  toothpick-pointed  shoes,  and  in  my  abstraction  I 
had,  it  seemed,  trodden  cruelly  on  his  toes. 

Boone  came  up  while  I  attempted  to  apologize,  and 
tapped  me  on  the  shoulder.  "What  do  you  think  of 
this  amusement,  Ormesby?  It  seems  to  have  had  the 
effect  of  dazing  you,"  he  said.  "  You  were  walking 
right  past  the  hotel  as  though  your  eyes  were  shut." 

"To  be  candid,  I  think  very  little  of  it,"  I  said. 
"  Still,  I  was  puzzling  over  a  slightly  complicated  sum  to 
ascertain  how  much — counting  every  remaining  beast, 
salable  implement,  and  load  of  grain — would,  when  I 
have  paid  off  Lane,  remain  my  own." 

"Planning  your  campaign  for  next  year?"  asked 
Boone,  with  a  trace  of  dryness. 


284     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  No,"  I  answered.  "  It  will  not  be  a  great  deal,  but 
I'm  open  to  stake  the  last  cent  on  beating  Lane." 

"  Good  man !  "  said  Boone.  "  We  are  going  to  beat 
him;  and,  to  show  that  I  am  prepared  to  back  my  con- 
victions, I  may  say  that  I  have  already  hypothecated 
every  pennyworth  of  my  English  property." 

Haldane  was  waiting  for  us  when  we  came  in.  "  Our 
men  have  had  a  busy  afternoon.  All  the  shares  they 
offered  were  bought  up,  and  there  is  no  sign  of  any 
weakness  yet,"  he  said. 

We  formed  a  somewhat  silent  company  during  the 
earlier  portion  of  the  evening.  Haldane  sat  busy,  pencil 
in  hand,  and  finally  passed  a  page  of  his  notebook  across 
to  us.  "  I  don't  quite  know  who  is  backing  Lane,  but 
his  purse  is  a  tolerably  long  one,"  he  said.  "  You  see, 
we  must  produce  shares,  or  the  difference  between  their 
value  at  that  time  and  the  price  we  sold  at,  to  this  extent 
on  settling  day,  Ormesby." 

"  Of  which  nobody  would  apparently  sell  us  one,"  I 
answered  ruefully. 

Haldane  nodded.  "  You  mean,  of  course,  to-day.  A 
good  many  people  may  be  willing  to  do  so  before  this 
hour  to-morrow — if  not  it  will  be  time  then  to  consider 
seriously.  Meanwhile,  the  best  we  can  do  is  to  seek 
innocent  relaxation,  and  I  see  that  Miss  Redmond  is 
singing  at  the  opera  house." 

I  was  hardly  in  the  mood  to  enjoy  a  concert,  though 
I  was  curious  to  hear  Redmond's  daughter;  but  inaction 
had  grown  almost  insufferable  and  when  we  took  our 
places  in  the  crowded  building  I  felt  glad  that  I  had 
come.  The  sight  of  the  close-packed  multitude  and  the 
hum  of  many  voices  helped  to  hold  in  check  my  nervous 
restlessness.  Nevertheless,  though  a  lover  of  music,  I 
scarcely  heard  a  word  of  the  first  three  songs,  and  only 
became  intent  when  a  clapping  of  hands  rolled  round  the 
building  as  a  dark-haired  girl  stood  forward  in  the  glare 
of  the  footlights.  It  was  evidently  she  who  had  drawn 
the  perspiring  crowd  together,  and  that  alone  was  an 
eloquent  testimonial,  considering  the  temperature. 


THE    TURNING    OP    THE    TIDE        285 

Ailin  Redmond  was  very  plainly  dressed,  and  she 
smiled  her  acknowledgments  with  a  simplicity  that  evi- 
dently pleased  the  audience,  while  perhaps  in  compliment 
to  them  she  wore  as  sole  adornment  a  few  green  maple 
leaves.  Then  I  settled  myself  to  listen,  and  continued 
almost  spell-bound  to  the  end  of  the  song,  wondering 
where  the  girl  I  had  seen  herding  cattle  barefooted  not 
very  long  ago  had  acquired  such  power.  She  was  not, 
from  a  technical  view,  perhaps,  a  finished  singer;  but 
Western  audiences  can  feel,  if,  for  the  most  part,  they 
cannot  criticise;  and  I  think  she  drove  the  full  meaning 
of  the  old  Irish  ballad  home  to  the  hearts  of  all  of  them. 
A  wailing  undertone  rang  through  it,  and  the  effect  of 
the  whole  was  best  expressed  as  uncanny.  It  was  no 
doubt  the  strangeness  of  her  themes,  and  the  contrast  she 
presented  to  her  stereotyped  rivals,  which  had  led  to  the 
girl's  success. 

In  any  case  the  applause  was  vociferous,  and  continued 
until  the  singer  returned  and  stood  still,  with  hands 
lightly  clasped,  looking,  not  at  the  expectant  audience, 
but  directly  at  us.  There  was  a  curious  expression  in 
her  eyes,  which  were  fixed  steadily  on  myself  and  Hal- 
dane  beside  me.  Then  I  gained  understanding  as  she 
commenced  to  sing,  for  there  was  no  mistaking  the  fact 
that  she  meant  the  song  for  us.  It  was  a  clever  resetting 
of  such  an  old-world  ballad  as  I  think  no  Anglo-Saxon 
could  have  written;  its  burden  was  a  mourning  over 
ancient  wrongs  and  hunger  for  revenge ;  but  the  slender, 
dark-haired  girl  held  the  power  to  infuse  her  spirit  into 
me.  My  lips  and  hands  closed  tight  as  I  saw,  what  I 
think  she  wished  me  to,  Helen  Boone  dying  in  a  sod 
hovel,  and  the  wagon  that  bore  the  dead  man  rolling 
through  murky  blackness  across  the  prairie. 

Then  I  shook  all  misgivings  from  me,  feeling  that 
though  every  acre  and  bushel  of  grain  must  go,  and  we 
failed,  they  would  be  well  spent  in  an  attempt  to  pull 
down  the  man  who  had  brought  about  such  things. 
That  others  might  suffer  with  him  counted  little  then. 
They  had  clutched  at  their  dividends — dividends  wrung 


286     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

by  him  out  of  the  agony  of  poor  men;  and  their  igno- 
rance, which  was  scarcely  possible,  did  not  free  them 
from  responsibility. 

There  was  dead  stillness  for  several  seconds  between 
the  accompanist's  final  chord  and  the  tumultuous  ap- 
plause which  the  slightly  puzzled  audience  accorded, 
while,  when  it  died  away,  I  saw  that  Boone's  forehead 
was  beaded  and  his  lips  slightly  quivering.  Even  Hal- 
dane  appeared  less  than  usually  at  ease. 

"  Miss  Redmond  is  a  young  lady  of  uncommon  and 
even  uncomfortable  gifts,"  he  said.  "  Women,  as  you 
will  discover  some  day,  Ormesby,  are  responsible  for 
most  of  the  mischief  that  goes  on,  as  well  as  a  large 
amount  of  good.  For  instance,  it  was  the  encourage- 
ment of  one  of  them  which  helped  to  start  me  on  this 
campaign,  and  now,  when  slightly  doubtful  respecting 
the  wisdom  of  the  stept  another  must  sing  eerie  songs  to 
me  with  a  purpose.  I  think  we  will  walk  round  and  call 
on  her." 

We  did  so,  and  Redmond's  daughter  did  not  keep 
us  waiting  long.  She  sailed  down  a  broad  stairway  and 
stood  smiling  under  the  glaring  lamps,  very  slight  and 
slim  and  graceful,  so  that  it  seemed  fitting  Haldane 
should  bend  over  the  hand  she  gave  him. 

"  There  is  no  need  for  my  poor  compliments  after 
the  verdict  of  the  multitude ;  but  did  you  sing  that  song 
to  us?  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  said  "the  girl  quietly,  while  the  smile  sank  out 
of  her  eyes.  "  We  have  a  good  many  friends  and  hear 
much  gossip,  so  I  knew  at  once  who  was  directing  the 
attack  on  Lane's  company.  As  to  the  song — I  had  some 
slight  education  down  East,  you  know — its  choice  was 
not  without  a  meaning.  You  will  remember  how,  on  the 
eve  of  battle,  Shakespeare's  ghosts  prophesied  to  one  man 
ruin  and  to  another  victory  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Haldane,  looking  puzzled,  "  I  think  I  do." 

"  Then  " — and  Ailin  Redmond  seemed  to  shiver  a  little 
— "  do  you  think  there  are  no  ghosts  on  the  prairie  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  met  any  of  them,"  said  Haldane ;  and  the 
girl  answered  with  infectious  gravity :  "  That  does  not 


THE    TURNING    OF    THE    TIDE        287 

prove  there  are  none;  and,  even  if  you  call  it  a  childish 
fancy,  I  felt  as  I  sang  that  they  will  bring  you  victory 
to-morrow." 

"  You  are  far  too  clever  and  pretty  to  fill  your  head 
with  such  fancies,  my  dear,"  said  Haldane.  And  when 
we  went  out  into  the  open  he  repeated,  with  a  shrug  of 
his  shoulders :  "  In  spite  of  her  talents,  that  is  a  most 
uncomfortable  young  woman;  but  heaven  send  her 
prophecy  comes  true." 

Again  I  passed  a  restless  night,  but  our  agent  procured 
us  admission  into  the  inner  precincts  of  the  exchange  on 
the  morrow,  and  as  I  listened  to  the  eager  shouting  and 
watched  the  excited  groups  surge  about  the  salesmen,  I 
began  to  comprehend  the  fascination  that  speculation 
wields  over  its  votaries.  Our  little  spectacled  broker, 
however,  held  my  eye  as  he  flitted  to  and  fro,  and  now 
and  then  with  a  strident  cry  gathered  a  mob  of  gestic- 
ulating men  about  him.  Somebody  accepted  his  offers 
on  each  occasion,  and  he  approached  us  with  an  almost 
dismayed  expression  when  the  market  closed  at  noon. 

"  You  are  an  old  hand  at  this  business,  sir,  but  I  feel 
it's  my  duty  to  warn  you  that  things  don't  look  well," 
he  said.  "  Your  friends  of  the  opposition  are  evidently 
able  to  stand  considerable  hammering.  The  sum  you 
mentioned  would  be  no  use  now  to  pull  us  straight;  and 
unless  there's  a  break  pretty  soon  they'll  squeeze  you  like 
a  screw  vice  on  settling  day.  It  would  be  hard  to  figure 
the  price  they'll  make  you  pay." 

"  You  don't  suppose  I  haven't  foreseen  such  a  con- 
tingency," said  Haldane.  "  The  break  will  probably 
come  this  afternoon — if  not,  to-morrow.  Tell  your  allies 
to  sell  further  small  lots  down  at  a  moderate  reduction." 

Our  lunch  was,  as  the  others  had  been,  luxurious ;  but 
my  throat  was  dry,  and  I  could  not  eat.  Boone's  appetite 
had  also  failed,  and  I  may  have  guessed  aright  at  part 
of  his  story  when  I  saw  him,  after  thrice  emptying  his 
glass,  glance  still  thirstily  at  the  wine,  and  then  thrust 
the  decanter  away. 

"  It  is  time  to  consider,"  said  Haldane.  "  Unless 
somebody  is  soon  scared  into  selling,  Lane's  company 


288     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

will  be  able  to  fleece  us  horribly  on  settling  day ;  but  ex- 
perience of  such  affairs  teaches  me  that  sooner  or  later 
the  smaller  holders  must  break  under  a  persistent  ham- 
mering. Now,  I  don't  mind  admitting  that  I  did  not 
anticipate  such  an  obstinate  defense ;  and  the  cause  of 
my  interference  is  mainly  this:  I  had  promised  to  take 
my  younger  daughter  on  a  trip  to  Europe,  but  am  not 
overfond  of  traveling,  and  Lucille  is  tolerably  contented 
with  her  own  country;  so  when  she  first  suggested  and 
then  insisted  that  I  should  make  a  campaign  fund  of 
what  it  would  cost  I  was  not  wholly  sorry  to  agree,  and 
figured  that,  with  careful  handling,  the  money  might  be 
sufficient  to  scare  Lane  into  making  some  rash  move.  At 
present  it  seems  that  I  was  mistaken,  and  that  before  we 
break  him  I  must  throw  Bonaventure  into  the  scale. 
You  may  save  your  protests,  gentlemen;  I'm  a  born 
speculator,  and  my  daughter  has  set  her  heart  on  this 
thing.  If  she  hadn't,  I'd  have  a  very  great  reluctance 
to  being  beaten  by  a  single-horse-power  company." 

"  Every  acre  of  Crane  Valley  I  can  find  a  buyer  for 
goes  in,  too,"  I  said ;  and  Boone  added  quietly :  "  You 
have  my  last  dollar,  sir,  already." 

Nothing  of  moment  happened  until  next  day,,  but  it 
appeared  to  me  that  there  was  an  almost  insupportable 
tension  in  the  very  atmosphere.  Our  chief  broker  was 
clearly  excited,  and  his  tone  significant,  when  he  called 
to  inform  us  that,  while  no  other  sellers  had  followed  his 
challenge,  only  very  small  parcels  of  the  stock  he  offered 
were  being  taken  up;  and  so  the  matter  stood  until  the 
afternoon. 

I  was  now  anxious  as  well  as  determined.  It  did  not 
require  much  knowledge  of  such  affairs  for  me  to  realize 
that  unless  other  persons  flung  their  shares  on  the  market 
we  should  be  left  absolutely  at  the  mercy  of  the  men  who 
had  the  stock  to  sell ;  and  while  I  had  nerved  myself  to 
part  with  everything,  it  would  be  inexpressibly  galling 
to  strip  myself  to  enable  Lane  to  reap  a  handsome  profit. 
Neither  do  I  think  it  was  mere  lust  of  revenge  that  im- 
pelled me.  The  man  was  a  menace  to  the  prosperity  of 
every  struggling  rancher,  and  had  shown  no  mercy ;  while 


THE    TURNING    OF    THE    TIDE        289 

— setting  aside  the  fact  that  he  himself  deserved  none — 
it  seemed  that  my  neighbors'  right  to  existence  depended 
on  our  efforts  to  overthrow  him.  Haldane  appeared  un- 
usually serious  when  I  glanced  at  him. 

"  If  nothing  happens  in  an  hour  we  shall  have  to  hold 
a  council  as  to  how  we  may  cut  our  losses,"  he  said. 

Half  an  hour  passed  very  slowly,  and  then,  warned 
by  a  message,  we  strolled  into  the  market  to  find  there 
was  comparative  silence  in  the  long  echoing  room,  as 
those  who  congregated  there  grew  languid  and  drowsy 
under  the  heat  of  the  afternoon.  Its  atmosphere  seemed 
suffocating,  and  before  I  had  been  present  long  the  sus- 
pense reacted  upon  me  physically,  for  my  throat 
resembled  a  lime-kiln  and  the  superficial  arteries  of  my 
forehead  throbbed  painfully.  Boone,  at  intervals,  mois- 
tened his  dry  lips  with  his  tongue,  and  Haldane  alone 
leaned  calmly  against  a  pillar  jotting  down  figures  in  the 
notebook  he  held. 

Then  a  few  listless  men  gathered  round  a  broker,  and 
suddenly  became  intent,  while  a  murmur  of  interest  rose 
through  the  drowsy  heat.  The  voices  grew  louder,  the 
group  swelled,  and  I  started  at  the  call :  "  Any  more  of 
you  with  Territories  to  sell  ?  " 

"  It  must  be  Lane's  last  throw,"  said  Haldane  quietly. 
"  Ah !  The  tide  is  turning.  There  is  somebody  who 
doesn't  belong  to  us  making  a  deal  with  him." 

The  bystanders  surged  to  and  fro  about  the  speakers 
in  a  manner  that  reminded  me  of  corraled  cattle ;  others 
hurried  towards  them,  and  our  broker's  voice  rang  out: 
"  I'll  trade  with  you  at  two  .dollars  better." 

Then  there  was  a  confused  shouting,  "  I'll  beat  him 
by  another!  Two  more  dollars  down!"  and  every  un- 
occupied man  in  the  room  joined  the  crowd,  out  of  which 
rose  indistinguishable  offers,  comments,  questions,  and 
counter-offers.  These  swelled  into  a  deafening  clamor, 
but  through  them  all  I  could  hear  or  feel  the  hurried 
beating  of  my  heart,  and  my  voice  sounded  hollow  as  I 
touched  Haldane's  arm.  "  Tell  me  the  meaning  of  it," 
I  said. 

"  We    have    beaten    them,"     said    Haldane    quietly. 


290     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"  There  are  other  men  hurrying  to  sell.  The  weak 
holders  have  broken  at  last,  and,  because  a  panic  is  in- 
fectious, most  of  the  others  will  follow  them.  Ah !  It 
is  beginning.  There  go  the  telegrams,  and  I  hear  both 
telephone  bells.  The  fun  will  commence  in  earnest  when 
the  answers  come  in ;  and,  meanwhile,  a  breath  of 
fresher  air  would  brace  one.  You  may  have  noticed 
that  it's  a  trifle  choky  inside  here." 

I  had,  but  my  feet  seemed  glued  to  the  floor  and  my 
eyes  on  the  swaying  crowd,  so  that  it  cost  me  an  effort 
to  tear  them  free  and  follow  Boone  and  Haldane  into  the 
open  air.  He  presently  led  us  into  the  grateful  coolness 
of  a  big  basement  saloon,  and,  scarcely  drawing  breath, 
I  emptied  the  contents  of  a  tumbler  filled  with  iced  liquid, 
and  then  I  looked  at  Boone,  who  had  pushed  aside  the 
glass  set  before  him  and  reached  for  the  ice  bowl. 

"  I  have  bought  my  experience,  Ormesby,"  he  said, 
with  a  smile  which  once  more  flashed  a  sidelight  on 
his  history.  "  In  times  like  these  it  is  better  to  confine 
one's  self  to  nature's  distillery.  A  cigar?  No,  thank  you, 
sir.  Do  you  feel  like  smoking,  Ormesby  ?  " 

I  did  not,  for,  in  spite  of  the  cool  beverage,  the  bite 
of  tobacco  would  have  been  insufferable  then;  but  Hal- 
dane lay  back  in  a  big  lounge  chewing  a  cigar.  He  said 
nothing  whatever,  and  though  he  appeared  satisfied,  the 
lines  on  his  forehead  had  deepened  and  his  face  appeared 
older.  In  spite  of  my  impatience  we  must  have  remained 
nearly  an  hour  before  our  leader  rose  a  little  stiffly  and 
proceeded  with. unusual  slowness  towards  the  scene  of 
the  conflict.  It  was  raging  fiercely.  Some  of  the  spec- 
ulators howled  like  wild  beasts;  others  wrestled  with 
their  fellows  to  reach  the  clear  space  in  the  center  of  the 
ring;  and,  standing  on  the  plinth  of  a  column,  I  could 
see  gesticulating  men  hard  at  work  with  their  notebooks. 
How  they  were  able  to  record  any  bargain  or  to  com- 
prehend any  offer  amid  that  pandemonium  was  more 
than  I  could  discover;  for  everybody  interested  appeared 
to  be  shouting  at  once,  and  the  rest  of  the  assembly 
cheering  them  on.  One  irate  individual,  indeed,  dragged 
a  neighbor  backwards  by  the  collar,  and  then  plunged 


THE    TURNING    OF    THE    TIDE        291 

blindly  into  the  midst  of  the  circle  when  the  other,  re- 
taliating, drove  his  hat  down  over  his  eyes. 

Haldane  listened  keenly  for  several  minutes,  and  then 
turned  to  me.  "  It's  going  our  way,  Ormesby.  Holders 
are  getting  out  as  fast  as  they  can,  and  various  speculative 
gentlemen  who  have  been  waiting  for  the  first  sign  of 
weakness  are  hammering  them.  We  have  done  our  part, 
and  can  safely  leave  the  rest  to  them.  See  if  you  can 
give  our  broker  this  note  for  me,  and  then,  if  you  have 
had  sufficient  excitement,  we  will  take  a  drive  somewhere 
until  dinner's  ready." 

I  had  certainly  had  sufficient  excitement  in  that  form 
to  last  the  rest  of  my  life,  and  I  managed  to  reach  the 
broker  without  personal  injury,  after  which  we  solaced 
ourselves  with  a  drive  through  the  city  and  across  some 
very  uninteresting  prairie.  I  saw  little  of  either,  and 
was  conscious  of  scarcely  anything  beyond  the  all-im- 
portant fact  that  Lane's  power  was  broken,  and  hence- 
forward my  neighbors  would  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their 
own  labor  instead  of  swelling  heavy  dividends  with  three- 
fourths  of  them. 

When  we  returned  to  the  hotel  our  agent,  who  ap- 
peared in  an  exultant  mood,  was  waiting  us,  and  he  posi- 
tively beamed  upon  Haldane  as  he  said :  "  It's  an  honor 
to  work  for  a  man  with  your  nerve  and  judgment,  sir, 
and  we  have  whipped  the  last  grit  out  of  them.^  I  let 
up  altogether  when  I  saw  every  outside  '  bear '  come 
ramping  in;  and,  if  you're  inclined  that  way,  we  might 
cover  a  little  quietly  without  stiffening  prices." 

I  do  not  know  what  Haldane's  instructions  were.  In- 
deed, the  reaction  of  relief  prevented  my  remembering 
anything  at  all  very  clearly,  except  that,  as  we  sat  at 
dinner,  Haldane  said :  "  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  those 
physicians  were  right,  and  I  think  I  have  made  my 
last  stake  this  afternoon.  I  dare  say  you  understand, 
Ormesby,  that  as  we  could  now  purchase  the  stock  be- 
low the  price  at  which  we.  sold  there  will  be  a  profit 
in  the  transaction.  Individually,  I  did  not  undertake 
this  matter  as  a  speculation." 

Haldane  made  light  of  our  anxiety  lest  he  should  have 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

suffered.  "  I  have  long  known  I  should  have  to  sink 
into  idleness,  and  it  was  a  good  piece  of  work  to  retire 
on,"  he  said.  "  But  what  about  the  profit?  " 

I  had  no  hesitation  about  the  answer.  "  It  was  no 
desire  of  profit  that  brought  me  here ;  and  as  one  ex- 
perience of  the  kind  is  sufficient,  I  intend  henceforward 
to  stick  to  my  horses  and  cattle.  I  will  not  touch  a 
dollar  of  the  money  beyond  actual  expenses,  and  would 
propose  that,  setting  aside  any  portion  necessary  to  secure 
us  against  reprisals  and  to  complete  our  work,  the  rest 
should  be  handed  to  Miss  Haldane  to  distribute  as  she 
thinks  best  in  charity." 

Boone  expressed  his  full  compliance,  and  Haldane 
smiled  at  me.  "  Do  you  think  you  can  run  up  a  contra 
account  in  that  way,  Ormesby  ?  " 

"  I  believe  we  are  justified;  but,  justified  or  not,  I  will 
not  touch  a  dollar  of  the  gains,"  I  said.  "  I  am  going 
back  to  the  prairie  to-morrow,  to  express  our  deepest 
gratitude  to  Miss  Haldane.  As  to  yourself,  sir,  a  good 
many  hard-pressed  men  will  never  forget  you." 

Then  Boone  rose  up  gravely  with  a  wine-glass  in  his 
hand.  "  The  task  is  too  big  for  Ormesby,  or  any  other 
man,"  he  said.  "  May  every  good  thing  follow  the  Mis- 
tress of  Bonaventure." 


CHAPTER    XXVII 
ILLUMINATION 

THE  binders  were  clanking  through  the  wheat  when  I 
next  met  Haldane  at  Crane  Valley.  Having  embarked 
upon  his  new  career  with  characteristic  energy,  he  rode 
over  from  Bonaventure  with  his  daughter  to  watch  our 
harvesting,  and  incidentally  came  near  bewildering  me 
with  his  questions.  Some  of  them  were  hard  to  answer, 
and  I  felt  a  trace  of  irritation,  as  well  as  surprise,  that 
a  few  hours'  observation  should  enable  him  to  hit  upon 
the  best  means  of  overcoming  difficulties  which  had  cost 
me  months  of  experimenting  to  discover. 

Thorn,  I  remember,  stared  at  him  in  wonder,  and 
afterwards  observed:  "You  and  I  have  just  got  to  keep 
on  trying  until  we  find  out  the  best  way  of  fixing  things, 
and  if  our  way's  certain,  it's  often  expensive.  That 
man  just  chews  on  his  cigar^  and  it  comes  to  him.  When 
I  take  up  my  located  land  and  get  worried  about  the 
money,  I'm  going  to  try  cigar-smoking." 

"  You  will  have  considerably  less  of  it  if  you  experi- 
ment with  the  brand  that  Haldane  keeps,"  I  answered, 
jerking  the  lines,  and  my  binder  rolled  on  again  behind 
the  weary  team.  When  each  minute  was  worth  a  silver 
coin,  we  dare  not  spare  the  beasts,  and  I  had  worn  out 
four  of  them  in  as  many  days,  and  then  sat  almost  nod- 
ding in  the  driving  seat,  with  a  deep  sense  of  satisfaction 
in  my  heart  which  I  was  too  tired  to  express. 

Oat  sheaves  ridging  the  bleached  prairie  blazed  in 
yellow  ranks  before  my  heavy  eyes,  and  each  heave  of 
the  binder's  arms  flung  out  behind  me  a  truss  of  golden 
wheat.  The  glare  was  blinding,  for  we  worked  under 
the  full  heat  of  a  scorching  afternoon,  as  we  had  done, 
and  would  do,  by  the  pale  light  of  the  moon.  Thick 
dust  rolled  about  us.  clogging  my  lashes  and  fouling  the 

293 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

coats  of  the  beasts,  while  the  crackle  of  the  flinty  stems, 
the  rasp  of  shearing  knives,  the  rhythm  of  trampling 
hoofs,  and  the  clink  of  metal  throbbing  harmoniously 
through  the  drowsy  heat,  were  flung  back  by  other  ma- 
chines at  work  across  the  grain.  There  is,  however,  a 
limit  to  human  powers,  and  I  must  have  been  driving 
mechanically,  and  nearly  asleep,  when  a  clicking  warned 
me  that  it  was  time  to  fit  another  spool  of  twine.  I  re- 
member that  during  the  operation  I  envied  the  endur- 
ance of  the  soulless,  but  otherwise  almost  human,  ma- 
chine. 

Steel  came  up  with  his  binder  before  it  was  completed, 
a  creak  and  thud  and  tinkle  swelling  in  musical  cres- 
cendo as  the  jaded  team  loomed  nearer  through  the  dust. 
There  was  a  flash  of  varnished  wood  that  rose  and  fell, 
and  twinkling  metal,  and  I  saw  the  driver  sitting  stiffly 
with  hands,  that  were  almost  blackened,  clenched  on  the 
lines,  peering  straight  before  him  out  of  half-closed 
eyes,  while  the  moisture  that  ran  from  his  forehead 
washed  copper-tinted  channels  through  the  grime.  It 
was  by  an  effort  he  held  himself  to  his  task;  but  that 
was  nothing  unusual,  for  the  prairie  does  not  yield  up 
her  riches  lightly,  and  by  the  golden  wake  he  left  behind 
him  the  effort  was  justified.  The  earth  had  been  fruitful 
that  season,  and  harvest  had  not  failed;  while,  having 
sown  in  deep  dejection,  uncertain  who  would  reap,  it 
was  a  small  thing  to  strain  one's  strength  to  the  utmost 
to  gather  the  bounteous  yield.  We  were  already  free, 
and  every  revolution  of  the  binder's  arms  set  us  so  much 
farther  on  the  road  to  prosperity. 

Twice  I  jerked  the  lines,  but  the  team  stood  still;  and 
I  was  preparing  to  encourage  them  more  vigorously, 
when  Haldane  and  his  daughter  approached.  Both  had 
insisted  on  my  leaving  them  to  their  own  devices,  and 
now  Lucille  appeared  to  regard  the  beasts  and  myself 
compassionately. 

"  They  look  very  tired,  and  they  have  done  so  much," 
she  said,  glancing  down  the  long  rows  of  piled-up 
grain.  "  Is  not  that  sufficient  to  justify  your  resting  a 
little?" 


ILLUMINATION  295 

"  I  am  afraid  not,"  I  answered  with  a  somewhat  rue- 
ful smile.  :'  You  see,  prosperity  has  made  us  greedy, 
while  all  the  grain  cut  up  to  the  present  belongs  to 
Lane." 

The  girl  looked  indignant — Haldane  thoughtful.  "  I 
have  been  wondering  whether  you  would  feel  inclined 
to  contest  his  claim  for  the  balance  of  the  debt,"  he  said. 
"  Considering  that  he  has  taken  from  you  twice  the 
value  of  his  loan,  and  the  story  in  Miss  Redmond's 
book,  you  might  be  ethically  and  legally  justified." 

"  No,"  I  said.  "  I  made  the  bargain,  and  I  intend  to 
keep  my  part  of  it.  That  accomplished,  I  shall  have  the 
fewer  scruples  about  using  every  effort  to  utterly  crush 
the  man.  All  we  cut  henceforward  is  my  own,  and  I 
can  only  repeat  that  I  should  be  glad  to  devote  every 
bushel  to  help  forward  his  defeat." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  said  Lucille  Haldane,  with 
a  trace  of  pride  in  her  approval,  though  her  eyes  were 
mischievous  as  she  continued :  "  It  is,  however,  unfor- 
tunate you  are  so  very  busy,  because,  as  father  is  riding, 
and  as  the  team  are  a  little  wild,  we  hoped  you  would 
drive  them  home  for  me." 

I  climbed  down  from  the  iron  saddle,  shouting  to 
Steel,  and  Lucille  smiled  demurely.  "  We  could  not 
tear  you  away  from  that  machine  when  you  would 
grudge  every  minute,"  she  said.  "  Remember  that  Bona- 
venture  is  a  long  way  off,  and,  even  if  we  allowed  it, 
you  could  .hardly  return  before  to-morrow." 

I  nevertheless  fancied  she  was  pleased  at  my  eager- 
ness, and,  for  Haldane  had  passed  on,  I  felt  suddenly 
oppressed  by  the  recognition  of  what  I  owed  her.  Yet 
had  it  been  possible  I  should  not  have  lightened  the 
debt.  I  looked  down  at  her  gravely,  noticing  how  young 
and  fresh  and  slender  she  seemed — bright  as  the  blaze 
of  sunshine  in  which  she  stood — and  then  I  pointed 
towards  the  long  ranks  of  sheaves  and  the  sea  of  stately 
ears. 

"  I  am  not  in  the  least  inconsistent,  and  should  not 
be  if  every  moment  were  thrice  as  precious,"  I  said. 
"  I  remember  most  plainly  that  you  gave  me  all  this. 


296     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is,  nevertheless,  perfectly 
true." 

The  girl  blushed  prettily,  and  then  glanced  from  me 
towards  the  tired  horses  and  the  standing  machine,  after 
which  her  eyes  rested  with  approval  on  the  stalwart 
form  of  Thorn,  who  came  up  urging  on  his  plodding 
team. 

"  It  would  be  something  to  be  proud  of,  if  one  could 
believe  you,  Rancher;  but  I  am  not  wholly  pleased  with 
the  last  part  of  the  speech,"  she  said,  with  a  faint,  half- 
mocking  inclination  of  the  head.  "  I  can  guess  what  you 
are  thinking,  and  you  are  a  trifle  slow  to  learn.  Women 
are  very  well  in  their  own  place,  are  they  not?  How- 
ever, you  find  it  perplexing  when  they  will  not  stay 
there,  but,  because  some  of  them  grow  tired  of  breath- 
ing incense,  they  descend  and  interfere  in  masculine 
affairs.  It  is  truly  strange  that  there  should  be  more 
forces  in  the  world  than  those  centered  in  big  dusty  men 
and  splendid  horses !  " 

"  You  must  be  a  witch;  but  I  am  learning  by  degrees," 
I  said.  And  the  girl  laughed  merrily. 

"  You  have  not  progressed  very  far,  to  judge  by  the 
comparison.  Witches  were  usually  pictured  as  malevo- 
lent, old,  and  ugly." 

"  I  meant  a  beneficent  fairy ;  but  the  surprise  was  not 
quite  unnatural,"  I  said.  "  Who  could  suspect  in  such 
a  slender  and  fragile  person  the  power  she  possesses 
to  banish  gloom  and  poverty?  Legions  of  men  and 
horses  could  not  accomplish  so  much." 

"  Now  you  go  too  far  in  the  opposite  direction/'  and 
my  companion  shook  her  head.  "  It  is  the  sense  of 
balance  you  need." 

The  sun-blaze  turned  the  clustered  hair  under  her 
wide  hat  into  the  likeness  of  burnished  gold — the  gold 
of  our  own  Northwest,  with  a  coppery  warmth  in  it — • 
but  the  light  in  her  hazel  eyes  eclipsed  its  brilliancy. 
The  lithe  figure  fitted  its  gorgeous  background  of  yel- 
low radiancy,  and  again  I  felt  all  my  pulses  quicken 
as  I  paid  Haldane's  daughter  silent  homage.  Magnifi- 
cent as  the  wheat,  alike  to  eye  and  understanding,  when 


ILLUMINATION  297 

one  remembered  its  mission,  her  presence  seemed  the 
crown  and  complement  of  all  that  splendid  field.  It  was 
hard  to  refrain  from  telling  her  so,  and  possibly  my 
voice  was  not  pitched  quite  in  its  normal  key  when  I 
said:  "It  is  short  of  the  truth,  but  there  is  just  one 
thing  I  should  like  to  know,  and  that  is  whether  any 
other  motive  than  pure  benevolence  prompted  you." 

"Why?" 

Then  I  answered  boldly :  "  Because  it  would  be  worth 
the  rest  to  fancy  that  in  some  small  measure  it  was  due 
to  individual  goodwill  towards  Rancher  Ormesby." 

The  girl  looked  away  from  me  across  the  grain,  and, 
as  she  turned  her  head,  it  was  with  a  thrill  of  pleasure, 
which  may  not  have  been  wholly  artistic,  that  I  noticed 
the  polished  whiteness  of  her  neck  and  a  dainty,  pink- 
tinted  little  ear  that  peeped  out  from  the  clusters  of 
her  hair.  Then  she  laughed,  perhaps  at  Thorn,  who 
argued  quaintly,  if  forcibly,  with  his  reluctant  beasts, 
and  turned  to  me. 

"  If  you  desire  another  motive,  you  may  conclude,  as 
you  heard  before,  that  it  was  love  of  justice;  which  really 
ought  to  satisfy  you." 

"  It  is  a  creditable  one,"  I  answered.  "  But  I  fear 
that  it  does  not." 

We  left  Crane  Valley  shortly,  Haldane  on  horseback, 
his  daughter — because  something  had  gone  wrong  with 
the  Bonaventure  vehicle — beside  me  in  our  light  wagon, 
which,  if  it  in  no  way  resembled  the  cumbrous  con- 
trivance bearing  that  name  in  England,  was  I  was  un- 
easily conscious,  by  no  means  overclean.  On  the  way 
we  met  the  threshers,  and  stronger  teams  hauling  the 
machines  towards  Crane  Valley,  for  our  threshing  is 
done  mostly  in  the  field.  We  stopped  to  bid  them  hurry, 
and  Haldane,  learning  they  had  met  Gordon,  whom  he 
desired  to  see,  bade  us  proceed  while  he  looked  for  the 
rancher.  I  was  not  sorry  to  do  so,  and  accordingly  it 
was  without  him  that  we  approached  the  dip  to  the 
Sweetwater  hollow. 

The  afternoon  was  waning,  and  the  air  very  still. 
The  tiny  birch  leaves  had  ceased  their  whispering;  but 


298     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

the  sound  of  running  water  came  musically  out  of  their 
cool  shadow.  All  the  winding  valley  was  rolled  in 
green,  an  oasis  of  verdure  in  the  sweep  of  white-bleached 
prairie;  and,  pulling  the  team  up  between  the  first  of 
the  slender  trunks,  I  pointed  down  towards  the  half- 
seen  lane  of  sliding  water. 

"  I  might  never  have  known  you  if  it  had  not  been 
for  a  trifling  accident  by  yonder  willow  clump,"  I  said. 
"  I  remember  your  sister  suggested  that  very  night  that 
our  meeting  might  be  the  first  scene  of  a  drama,  and, 
considering  all  that  has  happened  since  then,  her  predic- 
tion has  proved  strangely  accurate." 

Lucille  Haldane  nodded.  "  It  is  a  coincidence  that  I 
was  thinking  of  the  same  thing,  and  wondering,  now 
that  the  play  must  be  drawing  towards  its  close,  what 
the  end  will  be.  The  meeting  must,  however,  have  been 
unlucky  for  you,  because  all  your  troubles  date  from  that 
beginning." 

"  And  my  privileges,"  I  answered,  smiling.  "  The 
present  is  at  least  a  happy  augury.  When  I  met  Boone 
beside  the  river  there  was  not  a  leaf  on  the  birches,  and 
their  branches  were  moaning  under  a  blast  which  makes 
one  shiver  from  mere  recollection.  Remember  the  har- 
vest at  Crane  Valley,  and  look  down  on  yonder  shining 
water  and  cool  greenery.  It  was  you  who  brought  us 
the  sunshine,  and  even  the  memory  of  the  dark  days  is 
now  melting  like  that  night's  snow." 

"  That  is  exaggerated  sentiment,  and  I  have  heard 
invertebrate  youths  in  the  cities  say  such  things  more 
neatly,"  commented  the  girl,  with  an  air  of  mock  sever- 
ity, and  then  glanced  dreamily  into  the  hollow ;  while,  as 
silence  succeeded,  fate  sent  a  little  sting-fly  to  take  a 
part — as,  to  confound  man's  contriving,  trifles  often  do 
— in  ending  the  play.  The  team  were  ill-broken  broncos 
which  had  already  given  me  trouble,  and  when  the  fly 
bored  with  envenomed  proboscis  through  the  hide  of 
one,  the  beast  flung  up  his  head  and  kicked  savagely. 

The  reins  which  I  held  loosely  were  whisked  away, 
and  before  it  was  possible  to  recover  them  both  horses 
had  bolted.  The  light  wagon  lurched  giddily,  and  the 


ILLUMINATION  299 

next  moment  it  swept  like  a  toboggan  down  the  de- 
clivity. 

"  Hold  fast !  "  I  shouted,  leaning  recklessly  down ; 
and  the  first  shock  of  enervating  consternation  vanished 
when  I  gripped  the  reins.  Still,  there  was  cold  fear  at 
my  heart  when,  bracing  both  feet  against  the  wagon- 
front,  I  strove  uselessly  to  master  the  team.  The  brutes' 
mouths  seemed  made  of  iron,  impervious  to  the  bit;  the 
slope  was  long  and  steep;  birches  and  willows  straggled 
athwart  it  everywhere ;  and  the  soil  was  treacherous.  I 
could  not  break  them  from  the  gallop,  and  not  daring 
to  risk  the  sharp  bends  of  the  zigzag  trail,  I  let  them  go 
straight  for  the  slide  of  water  in  the  bottom  of  the 
hollow. 

It  was  not  the  first  time  I  had  been  run  away  with.  A 
fall  from  a  stumbling  horse  or  a  wagon  upset  is  a  very 
common  and,  considering  the  half-tamed  beasts  we  use, 
by  no  means  surprising  accident  in  our  country;  but  at 
first  it  was  only  by  a  fierce  effort  I  shook  off  an  almost 
overmastering  terror  as  I  contemplated  the  danger  to  my 
companion.  I  hazarded  one  glance  at  her  and  saw  that 
her  face  was  white  and  set,  then  dare  look  at  nothing 
but  the  reeling  trees  ahead.  I  strained  every  sinew  to 
swing  the  team  clear  of  them.  Sometimes  the  beasts  re- 
sponded, sometimes  they  did  not,  and  it  was  by  a  miracle 
the  trunks  went  by.  The  wagon  bounced  more  wildly, 
the  slope  grew  steeper,  and  even  if  I  could  have  checked 
the  team  this  would  only  have  precipitated  a  catas- 
trophe. So,  helpless,  I  clung  to  the  reins  until  the  end 
came  suddenly. 

Several  birches  barred  our  way;  the  brutes  would 
swerve  neither  to  right  nor  to  left;  and  with  a  hoarse 
shout  of  warning  I  strove  desperately  to  hold  them 
straight  for  the  one  passage,  wondering  whether  there 
was  room  enough  in  the  narrow  gap  between  the  trunks. 
It  was  immediately  evident  that  there  was  not.  Simul- 
taneously with  a  heavy  shock,  the  wagon  appeared  to 
dissolve  beneath  me  and  I  was  hurled  bodily  into  the 
air.  Fortunately  I  alighted  upon  soft  ground,  headfore- 
most, and  perhaps,  for  that  reason,  escaped  serious  in- 


300     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

jury.  It  is  possible  that,  in  different  circumstances,  I 
might  have  lain  still  partly  stupefied,  or  spent  some  time 
in  ascertaining  whether  any  bones  had  broken;  but,  as 
it  was,  I  sprang  to  the  overturned  wagon,  breathless 
with  fear. 

Lucille  Haldane  lay,  mercifully,  just  cleaj  of  it,  a 
pitiful  white  figure,  and  my  heart  stood  still  as  I  bent 
over  her.  She  was  pale  and  limp  as  a  crushed  lily,  and 
as  beautiful ;  and  it  was  with  awe  I  dropped  on  one 
knee  beside  her.  There  was  no  sign  of  any  breathing, 
coldness  seemed  to  emanate  from  her  waxlike  skin,  and 
though  I  had  seen  many  accidents,  I  dare  scarcely  ven- 
ture to  lay  a  finger  on  the  slackly  throbbing  artery  in 
her  wrist.  Then  I  groaned  aloud,  borne  down  with  an 
overwhelming  grief,  for  with  the  suddenness  of  a  light- 
ning flash  I  knew  the  words  spoken  but  such  a  little 
while  ago  had  been  more  than  true.  It  was  she  who 
had  brought  all  the  sunshine  and  sweetness  into  my  life. 
Reason  and  power  of  action  returned  with  the  knowl- 
edge, and  I  started  for  the  river  at  a  breathless  run, 
smashing  savagely  through  every  cluster  of  dwarf  wil- 
lows which  barred  my  way,  filled  my  hat  with  the  cold 
water,  and,  returning,  dashed  it  on  her  face.  The  action 
appeared  brutal,  but  terror  was  stronger  than  any  senti- 
mental fancies  then,  and  I  dare  neglect  no  chance  with 
that  precious  life  at  stake. 

The  slender  form  moved  a  little,  and  it  was  with  re- 
lief unspeakable  I  heard  a  fluttering  sigh;  then  I  raised 
the  wet  head  upon  my  knee,  and  fell  to  chafing  the  cold 
hands  vigorously.  The  time  may  have  been  five  minutes, 
or  less,  but  I  had  never  spent  such  long  days  in  my  life 
as  those  seconds  while  I  waited,  quivering  in  every 
limb,  for  some  further  sign  of  returning  animation.  It 
was  very  still  in  the  hollow,  and  the  song  of  the  hurry- 
ing water  maddened  me.  Its  monotonous  cadence  might 
drown  the  faint  breathing  for  which  I  listened  with 
such  intensity.  Even  in  that  space  of  agony  two  other 
incidents  flashed  through  my  memory,  and  I  understood 
my  fear  during  the  dark  voyage,  and  on  the  moonlit 
night  when  the  cars  lurched  across  the  bridge.  Life 


ILLUMINATION  301 

would  be  very  empty  if  the  breath  died  out  of  that  tender, 
shaken  body. 

The  suspense  was  mercifully  ended.  Lucille  Haldane 
half  opened  her  eyes,  and  looked  up  at  me  without  recog- 
nition, closed  them,  and  caught  at  her  breath  audibly, 
while  I  held  her  hands  fast  in  a  restraining  grasp.  Then, 
as  she  looked  up  again,  the  blood  came  back,  mantling 
the  clear  skin,  and  she  said,  brokenly :  "  I  fell  out  of 
the  wagon,  did  I  not?  How  long  have  I  been  here? — 
and  my  head  is  wet.  I — I  must  get  up." 

I  still  held  one  hand  fast;  but,  stooping,  slipped  one 
arm  beneath  her  shoulder  and  raised  her  a  little.  "  You 
must  wait  another  few  moments  first." 

The  girl  appeared  reluctant,  but  made  no  resistance, 
and  when  finally  I  raised  her  to  her  feet  I  found  it 
was  necessary  to  lean  against  a  birch  trunk  to  hide  the 
fit  of  trembling  that  seized  me. 

"  I  am  not  much  hurt,"  she  said ;  and  my  voice  broke 
as  I  interjected:  "  Thank  God  for  it !  " 

I  fancied  that  Lucille  Haldane,  shaken  as  she  was, 
flashed  a  swift  sidelong  glance  at  me,  and  that  the  re- 
turning color  did  not  diminish  in  her  cheek;  then  she 
said  hurriedly :  "  Yes,  I  am  not  hurt,  but  I  see  the  horses 
yonder,  and  you  had  better  make  sure  of  them.  We 
are  still  some  distance  from  home." 

I  turned  without  further  speech,  and  found  the  vicious 
brutes,  which  had  broken  the  wagon-pole,  held  fast  by 
the  tangled  gear  which  had  fouled  a  fallen  tree.  It  was 
almost  with  satisfaction  I  saw  the  bolter  had  lamed  him- 
self badly.  There  was  a  change  in  Lucille  Haldane  when 
I  led  them  back.  She  had  recovered  her  faculties,  but 
not  her  old  frank  friendliness,  and  said,  almost  sharply: 
'  The  wagon  is  useless.  What  do  you  propose  to  do  ?  " 

"  To  fold  up  the  rug  in  the  box  and  make  some 
kind  of  saddle  for  you,"  I  said,  and  proceeded  to  do  so, 
cutting  up  the  gear,  which  was  almost  new,  so  reck- 
lessly that  my  companion  seemed  even  then  surprised. 

"  Do  you  know  that  you  are  destroying  a  good  many 
dollars'  worth  of  harness  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  It  would  not  greatly  matter  if  I  spoiled  a  dozen  sets 


302     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

so  long  as  you  reached  home  safely,  and  it  is  a  very 
small  fine  for  my  carelessness,"  I  answered.  "  I  should 
never  have  forgiven  myself  if  you  had  been  injured ; 
but  are  you — quite — sure  that  you  are  none  the  worse  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  I  am  much  the  better,"  said  the  girl. 
"  Still,  I  am  not  badly  hurt,  and  it  was  not  your  fault." 

Though  still  languid  in  her  movements,  she  seemed 
chary  of  accepting  much  assistance  when  I  helped  her 
into  the  improvised  saddle,  and  then,  because  the  other 
horse  was  useless,  I  waded  through  the  ford  with  my 
hand  on  the  bridle.  It  was  some  distance  to  Bonaven- 
ture,  and  my  companion  was  not  communicative,  but  I 
did  not  find  the  silence  irksome.  Conflicting  emotions 
would  have  made  me  slow  of  speech,  and  I  was  content 
with  the  fact  that  she  rode  beside  me  whole  in  limb  and 
unspoiled  in  beauty.  Indeed,  so  much  had  the  sight  of 
her  lying  white  and  apparently  lifeless  impressed  me  that 
I  cast  many  apprehensive  glances  in  her  direction  before 
I  could  convince  myself  that  all  was  well. 

Haldane,  who  overtook  us,  desired  me  to  remain  at 
Bonaventure;  but  every  pair  of  hands  was  needed  at 
Crane  Valley,  and  I  wished  for  solitude.  So,  stiffly 
mounting  a  borrowed  horse,  I  set  off  homeward  across 
the  prairie.  I  had  risen  at  three  that  morning,  after  an 
insufficient  rest,  and  was  worn  out  in  body,  but  clear  in 
mind,  for  a  time,  at  least,  while  the  brilliancy  of  the 
starshine  and  the  silence  of  the  waste  helped  me  to  think. 
I  was  by  turns  thankful,  ashamed,  dejected,  and  eager 
to  clutch  at  an  elusive  hope.  Illumination  had  followed 
disillusion,  and  I  knew  at  last  that  even  while  I  was 
uplifted  by  vain  imaginings,  Lucille  Haldane  had,  little 
by  little,  and  unwittingly,  extended  her  dominion  over 
my  heart.  I  had,  it  seemed,  spent  the  best  years  of  my 
life  striving  after  an  unattainable  and  shadowy  ideal, 
while  perhaps  the  real  living  substance,  endowed  with 
the  best  of  all  pertaining  to  flesh  and  blood,  lay  within 
my  grasp.  It  wras  true  that  the  mistress  of  Bonaven- 
ture was  much  too  good  for  me ;  but  with  all  her  graces 
she  was  of  like  fiber  to  us,  and  her  few  weaknesses 


ILLUMINATION  303 

rendered  her  more  desirable  in  proof  of  the  fact. 
That  Beatrice  Haldane  was  worthy  of  all  adulation  re- 
mained equally  true;  but  it  was  hard  to  comprehend 
how,  blinded  by  folly,  I  had  mistaken  the  respect  I  paid 
her  for  the  warm  tide  of  passion  which  now  pulsed 
through  me.  Neither  was  the  latter  of  sudden  origin, 
for,  looking  back,  I  could  see  how,  little  by  little,  and 
imperceptibly,  admiration,  gratitude,  and  tenderness, 
had  merged  into  it  until  terror  opened  my  eyes  and  full 
understanding  came  at  last. 

There  remained,  however,  one  burning  question — did 
Lucille  Haldane,  in  any  degree,  reciprocate  what  I  felt? 
— and  this  lacked  an  answer.  Knowing  her  generous 
nature,  it  was  clear  that  what  she  had  done  for  me  had 
not  been  done  wittingly  for  a  lover;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  could  recall  many  trifles  which  may  have  had 
their  significance.  Thus  alternate  hopes  and  fears  surged 
through  my  brain  until,  when  I  had  decided  that,  being 
yet  a  poor  man,  I  must  wait  the  advent  of  the  railroad, 
at  least,  before  putting  my  fate  to  the  test,  my  thoughts 
commenced  to  wander,  and  I  must  have  guided  the 
horse  mechanically,  for  his  sudden  stopping  roused  me 
with  a  jerk  to  recognize  the  corral  at  Crane  Valley. 
There  is  a  limit  beyond  which  no  emotion  may  galvanize 
into  continued  activity  the  exhausted  body,  and  we  not 
infrequently  reach  it  on  the  prairie.  I  do  not  know 
whether  I  was  asleep  or  awake  when  I  led  the  beast  into 
the  stable,  but  the  sun  was  high  when  Sally  Steel  roused 
me  from  a  couch  of  trampled  hay  unpleasantly  near  his 
feet. 

"  You  have  had  a  tolerable  sleep,  and  don't  seem  par- 
ticular where  you  camp,"  she  said.  "  Come  right  along, 
and  do  your  best  with  the  second  breakfast  I've  got 
waiting." 

I  glanced  with  consternation  at  my  watch.  "Why 
didn't  one  of  the  others  waken  me?  Do  you  know  it's 
ten  o'clock,  Sally?"  I  asked. 

"Just  because  I  wouldn't  let  them!  You've  got  to 
last  through  harvest,  anyway,  and  I  guess  Miss  Haldane 


304.     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

wouldn't  have  much  use  for  a  dead  man,"  said  Sally, 
and  was  retiring  with  mischievous  laughter,  when  I 
recalled  her. 

"  You  have  been  too  good  a  friend  to  me  to  make 
such  jokes  again/'  I  said. 

"  I'm  not  the  only  one.  All  the  folks  are  talking," 
said  the  girl. 

Thereupon  I  answered  grimly :  "  If  I  hear  any  of 
them  amusing  themselves  in  that  fashion  I  shall  do  my 
best  to  choke  them." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 
THE    ENEMY    CAPITULATES 

SOME  time  had  elapsed  since  the  overturning  of  the 
wagon,  and  I  had  seen  nothing  of  Lucille  Haldane, 
when,  one  evening,  I  visited  Bonaventure  at  her  father's 
request.  All  had  gone  well  in  the  interval.  The  last 
bushel  of  grain  had  been  threshed  and  sold,  and  the  bal- 
ance of  my  debt  to  Lane,  with  every  surcharge  his  in- 
genuity could  invent,  wiped  out.  Haldane,  who  remained 
some  time  in  Winnipeg  with  Boone,  had  also  concluded 
operations  successfully,  for,  as  he  had  foreseen,  once 
the  turning  point  was  passed  he  had  no  lack  of  allies 
eager  to  assist  in  plundering  the  vanquished,  and,  before 
these  had  satisfied  their  rapacity  he  had  been  able  to 
unobtrusively  cover  most  of  our  sales  without  advanc- 
ing prices.  Boone  explained  that  the  new  assailants  con- 
sidered the  purchases  a  last  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
company's  supporters.  Also — because  there  is  little 
mercy  for  the  beaten — impoverished  storekeeper  and 
plundered  farmer  commenced  to  air  their  grievances, 
and  it  became  evident  that  the  company,  or  those  whom 
it  financed,  had  occasionally  exceeded  the  limits  of  the 
law. 

It  was  accordingly  to  a  meeting  of  what  Haldane 
called  the  Vehmgericht  that  I  was  summoned,  and  on 
arriving  at  Bonaventure  I  found  Gordon  and  several  of 
our  neighbors  already  there.  The  day  had  been  sunny, 
but  our  autumn  nights  are  sharp,  with  a  sting  of  frost  in 
the  air,  which  made  the  crackling  fire  in  the  open  hearth 
acceptable.  A  shaded  silver  lamp  flung  a  soft  light 
about  the  room,  which  in  no  way  suggested  that  it  was 
to  be  used  for  a  tribunal.  There  were  decanters,  cigar 
boxes,  and  British  Columbian  fruit  on  the  table,  while 
Haldane  lounged  in  a  velvet  chair,  with  feet,  neatly  en- 

305 


306     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

cased  in  patent  leather,  stretched  out  towards  the  fire. 
All  this  seemed  inappropriate  to  the  occasion,  even 
though  I  had  grown  used  to  Haldane's  way. 

A  glance  at  the  others,  however,  showed  that  they 
were  in  deadly  earnest.  The  men  were  lean  and  hard 
and  grim,  and  their  weather-darkened  faces  bore  the 
stamp  of  the  conflict.  Some  of  them  had  long  over- 
worked brain  and  body,  half-fed,  that  Lane  and  those 
who  backed  him  might  reap  an  iniquitous  profit.  Others 
had  seen  wife  and  daughter  toiling  in  the  dust  of  the 
harrows  or  riding  weary  leagues  behind  the  herds,  and 
had  not  forgotten.  I  noticed  they  accepted  Haldane's 
offers  of  wine  and  tobacco  dubiously,  and  I  surmised  it 
was  only  personal  respect  for  him  that  prevented  dis- 
approving comments  on  this  manner  of  procedure. 

Boone  doubtless  guessed  their  thoughts,  for  he  said 
whimsically :  "  I  see  no  reason  why  you  shouldn't  have 
a  good  time,  boys.  There  are  easier  ways  of  killing  a 
coyote  than  beating  his  head  in  with  the  butt  of  a 
gun,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  we  mean  solid  business. 
For  one,  I  find  these  cigars  better  than  the  tin  flag 
plug." 

'  Tin  flag !  "  and  a  man  with  wrinkles  round  his  eyes 
laughed  harshly.  "Dried  willow  bark  had  to  do  for 
us.  This  kind  of  thing  takes  time  to  get  used  to  after 
living  for  'most  two  years  on  damaged  flour  and  mo- 
lasses. Maybe  you're  used  to  luxuries,  and  don't  know 
what  it  is  to  see  the  wife  fall  sick  when  one  couldn't 
raise  a  decent  morsel  to  feed  her." 

Boone's  face  grew  as  stern  as  that  of  the  speaker, 
and  the  shadow  I  ,knew  crept  into  his  eyes.  "  I  think 
I  do.  My  wife  died  for  want  of  comforts  that  Lane 
might  twice  collect  his  debt,  and  I  am  not  likely  to  forget 
it  to-night,"  he  said. 

A  silence  followed,  and  through  it  I  heard  one  or  two 
of  the  others  draw  a  deep  breath,  while  their  faces  hard- 
ened as  they,  too,  remembered  grievous  injuries.  For 
my  own  part  I  was  grimly  expectant,  for  I  had  suf- 
fered long  enough,  and  had  sufficient  sense  to  know 
that  it  was  not  often  that  struggling  men  had  such  an 


THE    ENEMY    CAPITULATES  307 

opportunity  for  dictating  terms  to  a  powerful  adver- 
sary. We  were  all,  I  think,  democratic  in  the  word's 
most  liberal  sense,  cherishing  no  grievance  against  the 
rich,  and  quick  to  recognize  advantages  offered  us  by 
capitalists'  legitimate  enterprise;  but,  now  that  the  bal- 
ance had  swung  to  our  side,  we  were  equally  determined 
to  place  further  mischief  beyond  the  power  of  the  man 
who,  for  the  sake  of  a  few  dollars,  would  have  crushed 
us  out  of  existence.  It  appeared  a  duty  to  the  com- 
munity; but  I  had  not  studied  human  nature  sufficiently 
to  discover  exactly  how  far  that  motive  influenced  me. 

"  If  none  of  you  have  any  further  suggestions  to  make, 
I  want  to  ask  if  you  are  willing  to  leave  this  affair  to 
me,"  said  Haldane  presently.  "  Lane  in  his  own  way 
is  a  smart  man,  and  would  be  quick  to  seize  an  advan- 
tage which  anybody,  speaking  without  consideration, 
might  give  him.  I  offer  my  services  merely  because, 
during  an  extensive  business  experience,  I  have  had  to 
deal  with  such  men  before." 

"  There  is  nobody  in  the  Dominion  better  able  to 
handle  this  case  for  us,"  said  Boone;  and  the  others 
nodded  assent. 

"  We'll  sit  quieter  than  graven  images  unless  he  turns 
vicious,  if  you'll  draw  his  sting,"  said  one.  "  That's  no 
use,  anyway,"  a  comrade  interjected.  "  The  insect  would 
grow  another  one.  What  we  want  is  his  blame  back 
broken." 

"  I  will,  metaphorically  speaking,  try  to  oblige  you 
both,"  said  Haldane,  with  a  smile.  "  He  is  a  little 
weak  in  the  spine  already,  or  he  would  have  declined  to 
meet  us  at  all." 

Nobody  made  any  further  comment,  but  the  eyes  of 
most  of  us  were  turned  expectantly  upon  the  clock, 
until  at  last  Gordon  stood  up  when  a  rattle  of  wheels 
drew  nearer.  "  This  is  going  to  be  a  great  night,  boys," 
he  said.  "  The  pernicious  insect's  come." 

Lane  entered,  and  nodded  to  us  all  comprehensively 
when  he  saw  that  Haldane  did  not  hold  out  his  hand. 
The  man's  assurance  was  apparently  boundless,  for  he 
was  at  first  sight  as  debonnaire  and  almost  as  genial  as 


308     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ever — almost,  but  not  quite,  for  when  he  moved  nearer 
the  lamp  I  noticed  a  shiftiness  in  his  eyes  and  an  occa- 
sional contraction  at  the  corners  of  his  mouth. 

"  This  is  a  little  business  meeting,  and  we  appreciate 
your  attendance;  but  the  former  is  no  reason  why  you 
should  not  be  comfortable,"  said  Haldane.  "  Sit  down 
and  help  yourself  to  anything  you  take  a  fancy  to.  I 
need  not  introduce  any  of  these  gentlemen." 

Lane  was  not  readily  taken  aback,  for,  while  we  after- 
wards had  cause  to  believe  he  had  never  discovered  the 
movements  of  Boone,  he  looked  at  him  significantly,  but 
without  surprise.  "  I  know — all — of  them.  With  thanks, 
I  will,"  he  said.  "  As  to  the  visit,  I  am  always  ready 
to  oblige  my  clients;  but  as  you  know  time  means 
money,  it  remains  to  be  seen  on  whose  bill  I  shall  charge 
it." 

I  took  the  last  sentence  as  a  preliminary  defiance,  and 
fancied  Haldane  did  so,  too;  but  he  only  laughed  as 
he  said :  "  I  should  not  wonder  if  you  were  not  paid 
that  bill." 

Lane  nodded,  as  though  he  understood  that  the  swords 
were  crossed;  and  when  he  poured  out  a  glass  of  wine 
the  rest  of  us  prepared  to  watch  the  duel,  with  the  com- 
forting assurance  that  our  champion  was  armed  with 
the  better  weapons,  as  well  as  with  the  justice  of  his 
quarrel.  It  was  characteristic  of  the  enemy  that  he 
smiled  indulgently  when,  as  he  raised  his  glass  to  his 
lips,  Steel  and  another  man  thrust  their  own  aside.  The 
inference  could  not  have  been  plainer. 

"  Suppose  we  come  straight  to  business,"  said  Haldane 
presently.  "  It  may  save  time  if  I  recapitulate  what  is 
known  of  your  position.  If  I  am  wrong  in  details  you 
can,  of  course,  correct  me." 

"  You  can  sail  ahead,"  and  Lane,  stretching  out  his 
feet,  leaned  back  in  his  chair  in  an  attitude  of  contem- 
plative attention. 

"  To  commence  with,  you  hold  a  number  of  mort- 
gages on  land  in  this  vicinity,  from  which,  after  recoup- 
ing yourself  for  the  loan,  you  are  still  drawing  what  I 
venture  to  call  extortionate  interest.  These  and  your 


THE    ENEMY    CAPITULATES  309 

shares  in  the  Territories  Investment — which  cannot  be 
sold — I  believe  represent  your  assets.  Also,  after  taking 
first-class  legal  opinion,  we  find  that,  owing,  shall  I  say, 
to  indiscretions  on  your  part,  it  may  be  possible  to  pre- 
vent your  foreclosing  on  several  of  those  mortgages, 
while  one  subordinate,  I  believe,  refuses  to  be  turned 
out  of  Gaspard's  Trail.  On  the  other  hand,  you  have 
certain  tolerably  extensive  liabilities  I  need  not  enumer- 
ate, and  you  want  money  badly.  Law  suits  are  expens- 
ive, and  you  have  a  promising  crop  of  them  an  hand. 
It  was  with  a  view  of  obtaining  it  you  suggested  the 
issue  of  new  Territories  stock,  and,  seeing  that  hang  fire, 
unobstrusively  endeavored  to  sell  your  shares.  I  don't 
think  the  public  would  look  at  either  just  now.  In 
short,  you  have  taken  too  big  a  mouthful;  you  can't 
hold  on  without  money,  and  you  can't  obtain  that  be- 
cause, for  some  reason,  respectable  banks  fight  shy  of 
you.  It  will  simplify  matters  if  you  admit  all  this." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  admit  anything,"  Lane  said  sturd- 
ily, after  drinking  another  glass  of  wine. 

Haldane  smiled  as  he  answered :  "  In  that  case  we 
will  take  for  granted  what  I  have  said.  Now,  we  have 
the  money,  time,  and  determination  to  fight  you  over 
every  mortgage,  and  to  rake  up,  as  a  claim  for  damages, 
every  indiscretion." 

One  of  the  listeners  chuckled  in  a  manner  expressive 
of  surprise  and  satisfaction  when  Haldane  ceased,  and 
through  the  brief  stillness  which  followed  I  could  feel, 
if  I  could  not  see,  that  the  others  were  in  a  state  of 
strung-up  expectancy. 

"  Better  come  to  the  point,"  Lane  said.  '  The  ques- 
tion is,  what  do  you  want  from  me  ?  " 

"  It's  pretty  simple,"  was  Haldane's  answer.  "  We 
want  you  out  of  this  country.  It's  unfortunate  that  we 
can't  help  considering  you  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
its  prosperity;  but,  not  being  highway  robbers,  we  are 
open  to  make  you  a  fair  offer  for  your  property.  Here 
is  a  schedule  I  have  drawn  up,  and  you  will  see  by  ex- 
amination that  we  purpose  to  buy  the  mortgages  at  their 
face  value,  paying  you  any  interest  due  at  current  bank 


310     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

rates.  We  also  purpose  to  buy  back,  on  the  same  condi- 
tions, the  lands  on  which  you  have  already  foreclosed." 

Lane  was  difficult  to  astonish,  but  now  he  actually 
gasped;  and  several  of  those  present,  who  were  still 
within  his  clutches,  sprang  to  their  feet.  "  A  glacier 
wouldn't  be  cooler  than  you !  "  Lane  said.  "  You  must 
know  they're  worth,  or  will  be,  about  three  times  as 
much." 

"  Exactly,"  said  Haldane ;  and  Gordon  and  another 
chuckled  silently.  "  That  is  just  why  we  want  to  see 
you  safely  out  of  this  country.  The  man  who  drives 
that  kind  of  bargain  gives  nobody  else  a  show.  Please 
sit  down,  gentlemen;  I'll  answer  your  questions  later." 

I  think  Lane,  in  spite  of  his  refusal  to  admit  any- 
thing, must  have  felt  himself  driven  into  a  corner. 
Indeed,  for  almost  the  first  time  during  my  acquaint- 
ance with  him  he  showed  signs  of  temper,  for  his  lips 
straightened  and  there  was  a  gleam  of  malice  in  his 
eyes. 

;<  Your  hand  looks  a  good  one,  but  it's  not  good 
enough,"  he  said.  "  I'm  going  to  tell  you  to  do  your 
worst.  Say,  don't  you  count  too  much  on  Mr.  Haldane, 
the  rest  of  you.  If  this  is  fun  to  him,  it's  bread  and 
cheese  to  me,  and  I  don't  let  up  on  my  living  easily. 
Stand  out  from  under  before  he  gets  tired  and  the  roof 
falls  on  you.  You  all  know  me." 

The  listeners  had  good  reason  to  do  so;  but  they  had 
not  only  lost  their  fear  of  him — the  fear  which  makes 
a  coward  of  a  brave  man  when  he  becomes  a  debtor — but 
had  found  his  yoke  so  galling  that  they  would  have 
risked  the  worst  by  defying  him  in  spite  of  it.  He  must 
have  read  as  much  in  the  contemptuous  laugh  and  low- 
ering faces. 

"I  think  we  could  beat  you  with  it;  but  we  hold  still 
better  cards,"  said  Haldane  quietly.  "  For  instance,  you 
have  squeezed  Niven  a  little  too  hard,  and  he  is  prepared 
to  risk  his  liberty  to  testify  on  one  or  two  points  against 
you.  I  refer  to  incidents  connected  with  Gaspard's 
Trail." 

Lane  brought  his  hand  down  on  the  table,  and,  for 


THE    ENEMY    CAPITULATES  311 

some  unexplainable  reason,  I  actually  believed  him  as 
he  said :  "  Gaspard's  Trail  was  burnt  by  accident." 

"  We  won't  question  the  statement,"  said  Haldane. 
"  It  was,  at  least,  an  accident  that  you  were  quick  to 
profit  by.  This  ace,  however,  takes  the  trick.  Just  run 
through  this  account  book,  and — remembering  that  we 
can  produce  Miss  Redmond,  and  three  men,  who  will 
swear  to  what  her  father  said  when  Ormesby's  cattle, 
which  did  not  get  there  by  accident,  were  burned  in  the 
fence — consider  what  might  be  done  with  it." 

Lane  seemed  to  shake  himself  together  after  he  had 
read  the  first  few  entries ;  while,  watching  him  closely, 
I  once  more  saw  the  tell-tale  contraction  at  the  corners 
of  his  mouth.  This  was  the  only  sign  he  made,  how- 
ever, save  that  presently  he  moved  forward  a  little  in 
his  chair,  which  was  close  before  the  fire,  and  held  up 
the  torn-out  page  as  though  he  wished  the  lamplight  to 
fall  on  it  more  directly.  The  action,  which  was  made 
very  naturally,  suggested  nothing  to  myself  or  even  to 
Haldane ;  but  when  the  reader  moved  again,  Boone  rose 
suddenly  and  laid  a  restraining  hand  on  his  arm. 

"  You  have  had  time  enough  to  grasp  the  significance 
of  what  is  written  there,  and  I'll  take  the  papers  back," 
he  said.  "  Of  course,  knowing  whom  we  dealt  with,  we 
have  a  duly  attested  copy." 

I  do  not  know  whether  Lane  had  actually  intended 
to  destroy  part  at  least  of  the  dead  man's  testimony  or 
not,  but  he  was  capable  of  anything,  and  the  fire  was 
hot.  In  any  case,  he  calmly  handed  book  and  paper  back 
to  Boone  with  the  careless  comment :  "  You  thought  of 
that?  Must  be  considerably  smarter  than  you  used  to 
be." 

"  Yes,"  said  Boone  dryly,  "  I  have  learned  a  good  deal 
since  I  first  met  you.  We  will  now,  with  Mr.  Haldane's 
concurrence,  give  you  five,  or,  if  necessary,  ten,  minutes 
in  which  to  consider  your  decision." 

Without  being  in  the  least  sorry  for  him,  I  fancied  I 
could  understand  Lane's  feelings,  and  his  state  of  mind 
could  not  have  been  enviable.  It  is  true  that  Haldane's 
offer  allowed  him  a  fair  return  for  all  sums  invested, 


312     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

perhaps  almost  as  much  as  he  would  have  obtained  by 
legitimate  enterprise;  but  that  must  have  been  as  noth- 
ing to  the  man  who  had  schemed  for  a  fortune,  while 
one  could  have  fancied  that  he  found  it  inexpressibly 
galling  to  discover  that  those  whom  he  had  considered 
his  helpless  dupes  now  held  him  at  their  mercy.  Yet  he 
showed  small  sign  of  discomfiture,  and  his  voice  was 
steady  as  he  said :  "  It's  robbery ;  but  I'm  open  to  admit 
you  have  fixed  the  thing  tolerably  neatly.  Suppose  it 
was  Dixon  who  gave  you  the  pointers?  This  man  here 
must  have  some  grit,  for  he  knows  that  even  now  I 
could  make  it  hot  for  him.  Do  you  know  who  he  is  ?  " 

"  I  consider  the  terms  are  liberal,  and  we  arranged  the 
affair  ourselves,"  said  Haldane.  "  You  could  hardly 
expect  Mr.  Dixon  to  involve  himself  in  what  I'm  afraid 
is  virtually  the  compounding  of  a  felony.  It  is  also  pos- 
sible that  some  people  would  call  our  proceedings  by 
unpleasant  names,  but  you  left  us  no  choice  of  weapons. 
We  might  have  squeezed  you  further,  but  I  believe  it's 
wise  to  leave  a  back  way  open  for  a  beaten  enemy.  I 
am  perfectly  acquainted  with  Mr.  Boone's  history,  and 
understand  that  now  that  his  work  is  finished — for  most 
of  the  scheme  was  his — he  will  surrender  himself  to  the 
police.  He  does  not,  however,  apprehend  any  trouble 
with  them,  because  by  the  time  he  surrenders,  the  pros- 
ecutor will  have  removed  himself  across  the  frontier. 
Now,  hadn't  you  better  consider  your  decision?" 

Lane  sat  still  for  at  least  five  minutes,  and  I  could 
see  that  some  of  the  rest  were  not  quite  convinced  that 
the  battle  was  over.  They  had  experienced  such  a  taste 
of  his  quality  that  they  probably  expected  some  bold 
counter-move  rather  than  submission.  Nevertheless,  the 
man  was  beaten,  for  at  last  he  said :  "  It's  your  game. 
I  must  have  the  money  down,  and  your  solemn  promise 
you'll  make  no  use  of  what  you  know  until  I'm  across 
the  frontier." 

"  If  you  will  meet  me  at  Gordon's  at  noon  to-morrow 
we'll  settle  the  bill  together,"  said  Haldane  quietly; 
and  rose  as  if  to  signify  that  the  interview  was  over. 


THE    ENEMY    CAPITULATES  313 

Lane  no  longer  looked  jaunty,  for,  although  he 
evinced  no  great  dismay,  there  was  a  subtle  change  in 
him  as  he  also  rose  and  brushed  the  dust  off  his  hat. 
"  Everybody  gets  tripped  up  now  and  then,  and  must 
make  the  best  of  it,"  he  said.  "  Quaint,  isn't  it,  that  it 
should  be  a  man  of  Ormesby's  kind  who  most  helped  to 
bring  me  up?  Well,  it  seems  I  can't  stay  any  longer 
with  you,  boys;  but  no  one  knows  what  may  happen, 
and  I'll  try  to  square  the  deal  with  you  if  ever  I  come 
back  again." 

Nobody  answered  him,  and  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoul- 
ders he  passed  out  of  the  room;  and  though  I  fancied 
that  was  the  last  I  should  see  of  him,  I  was  mistaken. 

Then  Boone  said  reflectively :  "  I  wonder  whether  we 
have  been  too  easy  with  him,  sir.  I  can't  help  feeling, 
by  the  way  he  yielded,  that  the  rascal  has  something  up 
his  sleeve." 

Before  our  host  could  answer  he  was  plied  with  con- 
gratulations and  questions  about  the  money  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  mortgages,  and,  raising  his  hand  for  si- 
lence, stood  up,  smiling  at  the  men  before  him. 

"  I'll  find  part  of  it  in  the  meantime,  and  there  is  the 
profit  on  the  campaign  fund  you  raised,"  he  said.  "  You 
needn't  be  bashful,  gentlemen.  I'm  a  business  man,  and 
will  have  no  objection  to  charging  you  three  or  four  per 
cent,  more  interest  'than  the  banks.  It  will,  considering 
the  prospects,  be  money  sunk  on  good  security.  Now 
that  we  have  got  our  stumbling  block  out  of  the  way,  I 
see  possibilities  for  this  district,  and  am  presently  going 
to  ask  you  to  form  a  committee  to  consider  whether  we 
can't  put  up  a  small  flour  mill  or  cooperative  dairy." 

He  proceeded  to  sketch  out  a  project  with  a  vigor  of 
conception  and  a  grasp  of  practical  details  that  aston- 
ished the  listeners,  who  presently  departed  with  sincere, 
if  not  very  neatly  expressed,  gratitude,  and  with  hope 
and  exultation  in  their  weather-darkened  faces.  I  tried 
to  express  my  own  sentiments  and,  I  believe,  failed,  but 
Haldane  smiled  quaintly. 

"  Don't  make  any  mistake,  Ormesby.     I'm  not  setting 


314     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTUHE 

up  as  a  public  benefactor,"  he  said.  "  One  can't  do 
absolutely  nothing,  and  I  don't  quite  see  why  I  shouldn't 
earn  a  few  honest  dollars  where  I  can.  I  dare  say  the 
others  will  profit,  and  I  should  prefer  them  as  friends 
rather  than  enemies ;  but  this  scheme  is  going  to  pay  me 
— in  fact,  as  you  say  here — it  has  just  got  to." 


CHAPTER    XXIX 
THE    EXIT    OF   LANE 

EARLY  one  evening,  after  Lane's  capitulation,  I  sat  in 
the  hall  at  Bonaventure  waiting  its  owner's  return. 
Lucille  Haldane  occupied  the  window-seat  opposite  me, 
embroidering  with  an  assiduity  which,  while  slightly 
irritating,  did  not  altogether  displease  me.  Since  the 
wagon  accident  she  had,  in  an  indefinite  manner,  been 
less  cordial,  and  I,  on  my  part,  was  conscious  of  an 
unwonted  restraint  in  her  presence.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  say  that  she  made  a  pretty  picture  with  the  square 
of  still  sunlit  prairie  behind  her,  though  her  face  was 
tantalizingly  hidden  in  shadow,  and  I  could  only  admire 
the  graceful  pose  of  her  figure  and  the  lissom  play  of  the 
little  white  fingers  across  the  embroidery.  The  girl 
must  have  been  sensible  of  my  furtive  regards,  for  at 
last  she  laid  down  the  sewing  and  looked  up  sharply. 

"  Is  there  nothing  among  all  those  papers  worth  your 
attention,  or  have  you  taken  an  interest  in  embroidery  ?  " 
she  asked,  pointing  to  the  littered  journals  on  the  table. 
"  Do  you  know  that  it  is  a  little  disconcerting  to  be 
watched  when  at  work." 

I  was  uneasily  conscious  that  my  forehead  grew  hot, 
but  hoped  the  hue  that  wind  and  sun  had  set  upon  it 
would  hide  the  fact.  "  Don't  you  think  the  trespass  was 
almost  justifiable?"  I  said.  "You  are  responsible  for 
spoiling  us ;  and  unaccustomed  prosperity  must  be  com- 
mencing to  make  me  lazy.  I  was  thinking." 

"  That  is  really  interesting,"  said  the  girl.  "  Has  sud- 
den prosperity  also  rendered  you  incapable  of  expressing 
your  thoughts  in  speech  ?  " 

In  this  case,  circumstances  had  certainly  done  so.  I 
had  been  thinking  how  pretty  and  desirable  the  speaker 
looked;  but  the  trouble  was  that,  although  silence  cost 

315 


316     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

me  an  effort,  I  could  not  tell  her  so.  I  hoped  to  say. as 
much,  and  more  besides,  some  day ;  but  this  moment  was 
not  opportune.  Lucille  Haldane  was  mistress  of  Bona- 
venture,  and  I  as  yet  a  struggling  man,  who,  thanks  to 
her  good  nature  and  her  father's  business  skill,  had 
barely  escaped  sinking  into  poverty.  It  would  be  time 
to  speak  when  my  position  was  a  little  more  secure. 
Meanwhile,  in  spite  of  the  sternly  repressed  longing  and 
uncertainty  which  daily  grew  more  painful,  it  was  very 
pleasant  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  her  presence,  and  I 
dare  not  risk  ending  the  privilege  prematurely. 

"  I  was  thinking  what  a  change  has  come  over  this 
part  of  the  prairie,"  I  said,  framing  but  one.  portion  of 
my  thoughts  into  words.  "  Not  long  ago  one  saw  noth- 
ing but  anxious  faces  and  gloomy  looks,  while  now,  I 
fancy,  there  is  only  one  downcast  man  in  all  this  vicinity, 
and  he  the  one  from  whom  your  father  and  Boone  have 
just  parted.  The  change,  considering  that  a  single  per- 
son is  chiefly  responsible,  is  almost  magical;  but,  re- 
membering a  past  rebuke,  that  hardly  sounds  very  pretty, 
does  it?" 

Lucille  Haldane  laughed  mischievously.  "  To  one  of 
the  superior  sex;  but  are  you  not  forgetting  that  this 
season  the  heavens  fought  for  you?  It  certainly  might 
have  been  more  neatly  expressed.  Do  you  know  that 
the  education  you  mentioned  is  not  yet  quite  finished  ?  " 

"  I  know  there  is  much  you  could  teach  me  if  you 
would,"  I  said,  with  a  humility  which  was  not  assumed, 
choking  down  bolder  words  which  had  almost  forced 
themselves  into  utterance;  and  perhaps  the  effort  left 
its  trace  on  me,  for  Lucille  turned  her  head  towards  the 
prairie. 

"  Here  is  Sergeant  Mackay.  I  wonder  what  he 
wants,"  she  said. 

Mackay,  dusty  and  damp  with  perspiration,  was  ush- 
ered in  a  few  minutes  later,  and  for  the  first  time  I  felt 
all  the  bitterness  of  jealousy  as  I  saw  the  friendly  man- 
ner in  which  the  girl  greeted  Cotton,  who  followed  him. 
There  was  nothing  of  the  coquette  in  Lucille  Haldane, 
and  the  knowledge  of  this  added  to  the  sting;  but  I  did 


THE    EXIT    OF    LANE  317 

not  think  that  even  she  was  always  so  unnecessarily 
gracious.  Mackay,  however,  appeared  intent  and  grim, 
and  by  no  means  in  a  humor  for  casual  conversation. 

"  I'm  wanting  your  father  and  fresh  horses  at  once, 
Miss  Haldane,"  he  said.  "  Ye  had  a  visit  from  Lane 
yesterday  ?  " 

"  We  certainly  had.  What  do  you  want  with  him  ?  " 
asked  Lucille.  And  Mackay  smiled  dryly  when  I  added 
a  similar  question. 

"  Just  his  body,  and  your,  assistance  as  a  loyal  subject, 
Henry  Ormesby.  Ye  were  once  good  enough  to  say 
ye  could  not  expect  too  much  from  the  police;  but  it's 
long  since  your  natural  protectors  had  eyes  on  the  thief 
who  was  robbing  ye.  Niven,  when  he  wasn't  quite 
sober,  told  a  little  story,  and  there's  another  bit  question 
of  a  debt  agreement  forgery.  Ye  will  let  us  have  the 
horses,  Miss  Haldane?" 

Lucille  bade  them  follow  her,  and  I  heard  her  giving 
orders  to  one  of  the  hired  men.  Then  she  returned 
alone  in  haste  to  me.  "  You  saw  where  my  father 
put  the  book  Miss  Redmond  gave  him  ?  "  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  wondering.  "  He  locked  it  in- 
side that  bureau  and  put  the  keys  into  his  pocket." 

The  girl  wrenched  at  the  handle,  and  I  noticed  by 
the  creaking  of  the  bureau  how  strong,  in  spite  of  her 
slenderness,  she  was.  The  lock  would  not  yield,  and 
she  turned  imperiously  to  me.  "  Don't  waste  a  mo- 
ment, but  smash  that  drawer  in !  " 

"  It  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  maple,  and  why  do  you 
wish  to  destroy  it  ? "  I  said,  and,  for  she  had  a  high 
spirit,  fancied  Lucille  Haldane  came  near  stamping  one 
little  foot  impatiently. 

"  Can  you  not  do  the  first  thing  I  ask  you  without 
asking  questions  ?  "  she  said. 

There  was  nothing  more  to  be  said,  and  stooping  for 
the  poker,  I  whirled  it  around  my  head.  One  end  of 
the  bar  doubled  on  itself,  but  the  front  of  the  drawer 
crushed  in,  and  when  I  had  wrenched  out  the  fragments, 
Lucille  drew  forth  the  book. 

"  I  know  what  my  father  promised,  and  there  is  Miss 


318     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

Redmond  to  consider.  She  has  suffered  too  much  al- 
ready," she  said,  tearing  out  whole  pages  in  hot  hurry. 
"  Sergeant  Mackay  is  much  less  foolish  than  I  once 
heard  you  call  him,  and  I  have  no  doubt  suspects  some- 
thing of  this.  Can't  you  see  that  he  could  force  us  to 
give  the  papers  up  ?  I  am  going  to  burn  them." 

"  That  at  least  you  shall  not  do,"  I  said,  taking  them 
from  her  with  as  much  gentleness  as  possible,  but  by 
superior  force,  and  then  positively  quailed  before  the 
anger  and  astonishment  in  the  girl's  face. 

"  You  are  still  so  afraid  of  Lane  that  you  would  risk 
bringing  fresh  sorrow  on  that  poor  girl  in  order  to  pro- 
tect yourself?"  she  said,  with  biting  scorn. 

"  No,"  I  answered  stolidly,  without  pausing  for  re- 
flection. "  I  only  wish  to  declare  it  was  I  who  destroyed 
this  evidence,  if  there  is  any  trouble  over  the  affair." 

I  tore  the  book  to  pieces  and  rammed  the  fragments 
deep  among  the  burning  logs  as  I  spoke,  and  when  this 
was  accomplished  I  did  not  look  up  until  Lucille  Hal- 
dane  called  me  by  name.  Gentle  as  she  could  be,  I  had 
a  wholesome  respect  for  her  wrath. 

"  I  deserved  it,"  she  said,  with  a  bewitching  deepen- 
ing of  the  crimson  in  her  cheeks  and  a  shining  in  her 
eyes.  "  You  will  forgive  me.  I  had  not  time  to  think." 

Thereupon  I  longed  for  eloquence,  or  Boone's  ready 
wit;  but  no  neat  speech  came  to  my  relief,  and  while  I 
racked  my  clouded  brains  the  girl  must  have  guessed 
what  was  taking  place,  for  merriment  crept  into  her  eyes. 
Then,  just  as  an  inspiration  dawned  on  me,  as  usual, 
too  late,  a  hurried  tread  drew  nearer  along  the  passage. 

"  It  is  Sergeant  Mackay,  and  he  must  not  come  in 
here,"  said  my  companion  with  a  nervous  laugh,  as  she 
glanced  at  the  shattered  bureau.  "  Is  it  quite  impossi- 
ble for  you  to  hurry  ?  "  Then  before  I  realized  what 
was  happening,  she  had  placed  one  hand  on  my  shoulder 
and  positively  hustled  me  out  of  the  door.  Hardly  know- 
ing what  I  did,  I  clutched  at  the  little  fingers,  and 
missed  them,  and  the  next  moment  I  plunged  violently 
into  the  astonished  sergeant. 

"  Mr.   Ormesby  is  ready,  and  so  are  the   horses.     I 


THE    EXIT    OF    LANE  319 

hope  your  chase  will  be  successful,"  a  voice,  which 
sounded  a  little  uneven  (though  there  was  a  trace  of 
laughter  in  it)  said,  and  the  door  swung  to. 

Mackay  looked  at  me  curiously;  and  when  we  had 
mounted,  said :  "  I'm  asking  no  questions,  but  yon  was 
surely  a  bit  summary  dismissal !  " 

"  It's  just  as  well  you  are  not,  because  I  am  afraid 
I  should  not  answer  them/'  I  said,  and  Mackay  frowned 
upon  his  subordinate  when  Cotton  laughed/ 

We  had  ridden  a  league  before  he  vouchsafed  any 
explanation.  "  I  could  not  call  in  my  other  men  in 
time,  and  as  we  may  have  to  divide  forces,  demanded 
your  assistance  in  virtue  of  the  powers  entrusted  me," 
he  said  formally.  "  We'll  call  first  at  Gordon's  on  the 
odd  chance  our  man  is  there,  and  pick  up  Adams,  though 
Lane's  away  hot-foot  for  the  rail  by  now,  I'm  thinking. 
He  had  no'  a  bad  nerve  to  cut  it  so  fine." 

"  Did  the  confounded  rascal  know  there  was  a  warrant 
out?"  I  gasped,  almost  pulling  my  horse  up  in  my 
indignation,  as  I  remembered  Boone's  hint. 

"  We  did  not  advertise  the  fact,  but  yon  man  knows 
everything,  and  I'm  no'  saying  it's  quite  impossible," 
Mackay  answered  dryly.  "  But  what  ails  ye  that  ye're 
drawing  bridle,  Harry  Ormesby  ?  " 

I  drove  the  spurs  in  the  next  second  and  shot  clear 
a  length  ahead,  and,  though  the  Bonaventure  horses 
were  good,  the  others  had  hard  work  to  catch  me  during 
the  next  mile  or  two.  If  Lane  suspected  the  issue  of  the 
warrant,  he  had  victimized  us  to  the  end,  for  he  had 
tricked  us  into  furnishing  him  with  not  only  the  means 
of  escape,  but  sufficient  ready  money  to  start  him  upon 
a  fresh  career  in  another  land.  We  met  Boone  and  Hal- 
dane  returning  from  Gordon's  ranch,  -and  while  the 
former  advised  the  sergeant  that  Lane  must  be  well  on 
his  way  to  the  station  by  this  time,  I  drew  Haldane  aside 
and  hurriedly  related  what  had  happened  at  Bonaven- 
ture. 

"  Lane  is  a  capable  rascal,  and  will  certainly  catch 
the  westbound  train.  There  is  little  to  be  gained  either 
by  wiring  the  bank,"  he  said.  "  He  insisted  on  taking 


320     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

a  large  share  in  paper  currency,  and  as  the  draft  was 
one  I  had  by  me,  he  would  no  doubt  arrange  for  his 
friends  to  cash  it  before  I  could  warn  the  drawer.  Do 
you  know  the  bureau  you  smashed  in  cost  me  sixty 
dollars,  Ormesby?" 

I  was  endeavoring  to  express  my  contrition  when 
Haldane  laughed.  "  I  am  not  sure  that  you  are  the 
only  person  responsible  for  the  destruction  of  my  furni- 
ture." 

Mackay  had  started  before  our  conversation  was  fin- 
ished, and  it  cost  Boone  and  me  a  long  gallop  to 
come  up  with  him,  while  it  was  only  by  dint  of  hard 
riding  that  we  eventually  reached  the  station  some  hours 
after  the  departure  of  the  train.  Mackay  first  of  all 
wired  to  the  stations  down  the  line,  and  then  explained: 
"  That's  just  a  useless  duty.  Yon  man  is  keen  enough 
to  know  he  might  find  the  troopers  waiting  for  him. 
He'll  leave  the  cars  at  the  flag  station  where  there's 
nobody  to  detain  him,  and,  buying  a  horse  at  the  first 
ranch,  strike  south  for  the  border.  It  would  be  desir- 
able that  we  grip  him  before  he  reaches  it." 

Because  various  formalities  must  be  gone  through 
before  a  Canadian  offender  is  handed  over  by  the  Amer- 
icans, this  was  clear  enough,  though  I  did  not  see  how 
it  was  to  be  accomplished,  until  Mackay  had  exchanged 
high  words  with  the  station  agent.  A  freight  locomo- 
tive and  an  empty  stock  car  rolled  out  of  the  siding, 
and  we  took  our  places  therein,  men  and  horses  together. 

"  Sorry  I  haven't  got  a  new  bogie  drawing-room  for 
you,  but  it's  getting  time  the  police  gave  some  other 
station  a  share  of  their  business,"  said  the  exasperated 
railroad  official.  I  also  overheard  him  tell  the  engineer: 
!<  You  have  got  to  be  back  by  daylight,  and  needn't  be 
particular  about  shaking  them." 

It  was  not  the  fault  of  the  engineer  if  he  did  not 
shake  the  life  out  of  us.  Canadian  lines  are  neither 
metalled  nor  ballasted  with  much  solidity ;  and  with  only 
one  car  to  steady  it  the  huge  machine  appeared  to  leap 
over  each  inequality  of  the  track.  There  was  also  nip- 
ping frost  in  the  air,  the  prairie  glittered  under  the  stars, 


THE    EXIT    OF    LANE  321 

and  bitter  draughts  pulsed  through  the  lurching  car.  It 
was  not  an  easy  matter  to  keep  the  horses  on  their  feet 
or  to  maintain  our  own  balance,  but  the  swish  of  the 
dust  and  the  rattle  of  flung-up  ballast  brought  some  com- 
fort as  an  indication  of  our  speed. 

"  It's  a  steeplechase  already,"  gasped  Boone,  holding 
on  by  a  head-rope  as  we  roared  across  a  bridge.  "  I 
looked  at  the  gauge-glass,  and  the  engineer  can  hardly 
have  full  steam  up  yet.  We'll  be  lucky  to  escape  with 
whole  limbs  when  he  has." 

The  prediction  was  fully  justified,  for  the  bouncing, 
jolting,  and  hammering  increased  with  the  pace,  and  I 
made  most  of  the  journey  holding  fast  by  a  very  cold 
rail  as  for  my  life,  while  half-seen  through  the  rush  of 
ballast  I  watched  the  prairie  race  past.  When  one  could 
look  forward  there  was  nothing  visible  but  a  field  of 
dancing  stars  and  a  smear  of  white  below,  athwart  which 
the  blaze  of  the  great  headlamp  drove  onwards  with  the 
sped  of  a  comet.  All  of  us  were  thankful  when  the 
locomotive  was  pulled  up  before  a  lonely  shed,  and  while 
we  dragged  the  horses  out  the  man  who  drove  it,  grin- 
ning at  his  stoker,  said :  "  I  guess  there's  no  bonus  for 
beating  the  record  on  this  contract  ?  " 

"No,"  said  Mackay  dryly.  "  Ye  have  the  satisfac- 
tion of  knowing  ye  served  the  State." 

By  good  fortune  we  found  a  sleepy  man  in  the  gal- 
vanized iron  shed,  and  he  informed  us  that  Lane  had 
alighted  from  the  last  train  and  started  on  foot  towards 
the  nearest  ranch,  which  lay  about  a  league  away.  In- 
side of  fifteen  minutes  we  were  pounding  on  its  door, 
and  the  startled  owner  said  that  the  man  we  asked  for 
had  bought  a  good  horse  from  him,  and  inquired  the 
shortest  route  to  the  American  frontier. 

"  Four  hours'  start,"  said  Mackay,  as  we  proceeded 
again.  "  Ye  can  add  another  three  for  the  making  of 
inquiries  and  searching  for  his  trail.  It  will  be  a  close 
race,  I'm  thinking." 

It  certainly  proved  so,  as  well  as  a  long  one,  because 
we  lost  much  time  halting  at  lonely  ranches,  and  still 
more  in  riding  in  wrong  directions;  for  Lane  had  evi- 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

dently  picked  up  somebody,  perhaps  a  contrabandist, 
well  versed  in  the  art  of  laying  a  false  trail.  Neither 
did  he  strike  straight  for  the  border,  and  after  divid- 
ing and  joining  forces  several  times,  it  was  late  one 
evening  when  we  found  ourselves  close  behind  him. 

"  Oh,  yes !  A  man  like  that  paid  me  forty  dollars  to 
swap  horses  with  him  and  his  partner,  it  might  be  an 
hour  ago,"  said  the  last  rancher  at  whose  dwelling  we 
stopped.  "  Seemed  in  a  mighty  hurry  to  reach  Mon- 
tana. How  long  might  it  take  you  to  reach  the  frontier? 
Well,  that's  a  question  of  horses,  and  I've  no  more  in 
my  corral.  You  ought  to  get  there  by  daylight,  or  a 
little  earlier.  Follow  the  wheel  trail  and  you'll  see  a 
boundary  stake  on  the  edge  of  the  big  coulee  to  the  left 
of  it." 

Though  we  had  twice  changed  horses,  our  beasts  were 
jaded;  but  there  was  solace  in  the  thought  that  Lane 
was  an  indifferent  rider,  and  must  have  almost  reached 
the  limits  of  his  endurance,  while,  though  used  to  the 
saddle,  I  was  too  tired  to  retain  more  than  a  blurred 
impression  of  that  last  night's  ride.  There  was  no  moon, 
but  the  blue  heavens  were  thick  with  twinkling  stars, 
and  the  prairie  glittered  faintly  under  the  white  hoar 
frost.  It  swelled  into  steeper  rises  than  those  we  were 
used  to,  while  at  times  .we  blundered  down  the  crum- 
bling sides  of  deep  hollows,  destitute  of  verdure,  in 
which  the  bare  earth  rang  metallically  beneath  the  hoofs. 
Still,  the  wheel  trail  led  straight  towards  the  south,  and, 
aching  all  over,  we  pushed  on,  as  best  we  could,  until  I 
grew  too  drowsy  even  to  notice  my  horse's  stumbles  or 
to  speculate  what  the  end  would  be.  Before  that  hap- 
pened, however,  I  had  considered  the  question  and  de- 
cided that  there  was  no  need  for  any  scruples  in  seizing 
Lane  if  the  chance  fell  to  me.  We  had  merely  promised 
to  refrain  from  pressing  one  particular  charge  against 
the  fugitive,  and  were  willing  to  keep  our  bargain, 
though  he  on  his  part  had  deceived  us  into  making  it. 

At  last,  when  only  conscious  of  the  cruel  jolting  and 
the  thud  of  tired  hoofs  which  rose  and  fell  in  a  drowsy 
cadence  through  the  silence,  Mackay's  voice  roused  me, 


THE    EXIT    OF    LANE  323 

and  I  fancied  I  made  out  two  mounted  figures  faintly 
projected  against  the  sky  ahead.  "  Yon's  them,  and 
ye'll  each  do  your  best.  We're  distressfully  close  on  the 
frontier  now,"  he  said. 

Once  more  the  spurs  sank  into  the  jaded  beast,  and 
when  it  responded  I  became  suddenly  wide  awake.  It 
was  bitterly  cold  and  that  hour  in  the  morning  when 
man's  vitality  sinks  to  its  lowest  ebb;  but  one  and  all 
braced  themselves  for  the  final  effort.  Boone,  in  spite 
of  all  that  I  could  do,  drew  out  ahead,  and  we  followed 
as  best  we  might,  blundering  down  into  gullies  and  over 
rises  where  the  grass  grew  harsh  and  high,  while  thrice 
we  lost  the  man  who  led  us  as  well  as  the  fugitives. 
Nevertheless,  they  hove  into  sight  again  before  a  league 
had  passed,  and  it  even  seemed  that  we  gained  a  little 
on  the  one  who  lagged  behind,  until,  at  last,  the  blue 
of  the  heavens  faded,  and  grayness  gathered  in  the  east. 

It  spread  over  half  the  horizon ;  the  two  figures  before 
us  grew  more  distinct ;  and  Boone  rode  almost  midway 
between  ourselves  and  them,  when,  as  though  by  magic, 
the  first  one  disappeared.  Mackay  roared  to  Cotton 
when,  topping  a  rise,  there  opened  before  us  a  winding 
hollow,  and  Boone,  wheeling  his  horse,  waved  an  arm 
warningly. 

"  It's  the  wrong  man  doubling.  Come  on  your  hard- 
est until  the  trail  forks,  and  then  try  left  and  right !  "  he 
shouted  before  he,  too,  sank  from  view  beneath  the  edge 
of  the  hollow. 

There  were  birches  in  the  ravine  as  well  as  willow 
groves,  and  the  fugitives  had  vanished  among  them, 
leaving  no  trace  behind.  There  were,  unfortunately, 
also  several  trails,  and,  because  time  was  precious,  the 
noise  we  made  pressing  up  and  down  them  would  have 
prevented  our  hearing  any  sound.  Mackay,  who  in  spite 
of  this,  sat  still  listening,  used  a  little  illicit  language, 
and  rated  Cotton  for  no  particular  cause,  while  I  had 
managed  to  entangle  myself  in  a  thicket,  when  Boone's 
voice  fell  sharply  from  the  opposite  rise :  "  Gone  away ! 
He  has  taken  to  the  open !  " 

With  many  a  stumble  we  compassed  the  steep  ascent, 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

and,  as  we  gained  the  summit,  the  growing  light  showed 
me  a  solitary  figure  already  diminishing  down  a  stretch 
of  level  prairie.  "  It's  our  last  chance !  "  roared  Mackay, 
pointing  to  what  looked  like  a  break  in  the  grasses  ahead. 
"  I'm  fearing  yon's  the  boundary." 

Our  beasts  were  worn  out,  their  riders  equally  so;  but 
we  called  up  the  last  of  our  failing  strength  to  make  a 
creditable  finish  of  the  race.  The  coulee  was  left  behind 
us,  and  Lane's  figure  grew  larger  ahead,  for  Mackay, 
who  certainly  did  not  wish  to,  declared  he  could  see  no 
boundary  post.  Then  as  the  first  crimson  flushed  the 
horizon,  a  lonely  homestead  rose  out  of  the  grass,  and 
when  Lane  rode  straight  for  it  the  sergeant  swore  in 
breathless  gasps.  A  little  smoke  curled  from  its  chim- 
ney, for  the  poorer  ranchers  rise  betimes  in  that  coun- 
try. We  saw  Lane  drop  from  the  saddle  and  disappear 
within  the  door,  while  when  we  drew  bridle  before  it, 
two  gaunt  brown-faced  men  came  out  and  regarded  us 
stolidly. 

"  What  place  is  this  ?  "  asked  Mackay  with  a  gasp. 

One  of  them  seemed  to  consider  before  he  answered 
him :  "  Well,  it's  generally  allowed  to  be  Todhunter's 
Wells." 

:<  That's  not  what  I  want,"  said  the  sergeant. 
"  Where's  the  boundary  ?  "  This  time  the  other  man 
laughed  as  he  pointed  backwards  across  the  prairie  we 
had  traversed. 

'  'Bout  a  league  behind  you.  No,  sir ;  you're  not  in 
Canada.  This,  as  the  song  says,  is  '  the  land  of  the 
free.'  You'll  find  the  big  stake  by  the  coulee,  if  you 
don't  believe  me." 

"  Beaten !  "  said  Mackay,  dropping  his  bridle ;  and 
added  aside :  "  Whisky  smugglers  by  their  manners,  I'm 
thinking."  As  we  endeavored  to  master  our  disappoint- 
ment, Lane  himself  appeared  in  the  doorway.  He  looked 
very  weary,  his  fleshy  face  was  haggard  and  mottled  by 
streaks  of  gray;  but  the  humorous  gleam  I  hated  shone 
mockingly  in  his  ayes. 

"  Sorry  to  disappoint  you,  Sergeant,  but  you  can't 
complain  about  the  chase ! "  he  said.  "  Even  Cannuck 


THE    EXIT    OF    LANE  325 

policemen  and  amateur  detectives  aren't  recognized  here ; 
and  as  there  are  two  respectable  witnesses,  I'm  afraid 
you'll  have  to  apply  to  the  Washington  authorities. 
You  can  tell  Mr.  Haldane,  Ormesby,  that  there's  no  use 
in  stopping  his  check.  I  don't  think  there  is  anything 
else  I  need  say,  except  that,  as  I  have  booked  all  the 
accommodation  here,  they  might  give  you  breakfast  at 
the  ranch  in  the  coulee." 

He  actually  nodded  to  us,  and  thrusting  his  hands  into 
his  pockets,  leaned  against  the  lintel  of  the  door  with  an 
air  of  amusement  which  was  not  needed  to  remind  us 
that  he  was  master  of  the  situation,  and  for  the  last 
time  set  my  blood  on  fire.  There  was,  however,  nothing 
to  be  gained  by  virulence,  and  when  Mackay,  who  dis- 
dained to  answer  a  word,  wheeled  his  jaded  horse,  we 
silently  followed  him  towards  the  coulee. 

"  I  wish  the  Americans  joy  of  him/'  the  grizzled  ser- 
geant said,  at  length.  "  There's  just  one  bit  consola- 
tion— we  can  very  well  spare  him;  and  ye'll  mind  what 
the  douce  provost  said  in  the  song — '  Just  e'en  let  him 
be ;  the  toon  is  weel  quit  o'  that  deil  o'  Dundee.' " 

Boone,  smiling  curiously,  closed  with  the  speaker. 
"  There  is  one  thing  I  expected  he  did  not  do,  and  as  it 
could  hardly  be  due  to  magnanimity,  he  must  have  for- 
gotten it,"  he  said.  "  You  will  not  go  back  empty- 
handed,  Sergeant.  Are  you  aware  that  you  hold  a 
warrant  for  me  ?  " 

Mackay  pulled  his  horse  up  and  stared  at  him.  "  I 
cannot  see  the  point  of  yon  joke,"  he  said. 

"  There  isn't  one,"  was  the  answer.  "  Now  that  my 
work  is  finished,  I  see  no  further  need  of  hiding  the 
fact  that,  while  you  knew  me  as  Adams,  my  name  is — 
Boone." 

Mackay  still  stared  at  him,  then  laughed  a  little,  as 
it  were  in  admiration,  but  silently.  "  I'm  understanding 
a  good  deal  now — and  that  was  why  ye  helped  run  yon 
thief  down.  Well,  I'll  take  your  parole,  and  I'm  think- 
ing ye  will  have  little  trouble  since  the  prosecutor's 
gone." 


CHAPTER    XXX 
THE    LAST   TOAST 

LANE  troubled  us  no  further,  and  there  came  a  time 
when  those  who  had  suffered  under  him,  and  at  last 
assisted  in  his  overthrow,  would  laugh  boisterously  at 
my  narrative  of  his  hasty  exit  from  the  prairie  with  the 
troopers  hard  upon  his  heels.  They  appeared  to  con- 
sider the  description  of  how,  with  characteristic  au- 
dacity, he  bade  us  an  ironical  farewell  one  cold  morning 
from  the  doorway  of  a  lonely  ranch  an  appropriate  finale, 
and  bantered  the  sergeant  upon  his  tardiness.  The  latter 
would  answer  them  dryly  that  the  Dominion  was  well 
quit  of  Lane. 

Some  time,  however,  passed  before  this  came  about, 
and  meanwhile  winter  closed  in  on  the  prairie.  It  was, 
save  for  one  uncertainty  which  greatly  troubled  me,  a 
tranquil  winter — for  I  had,  in  addition  to  promising 
schemes  for  the  future,  a  balance  in  the  bank — but  not 
wholly  uneventful.  Before  the  first  snow  had  fallen, 
men  with  theodolites  and  compasses  invaded  Crane  Val- 
ley, and  left  inscribed  posts  behind  them  when  they 
passed.  This  was  evidently  a  preliminary  survey ;  but  it 
showed  the  railroad  was  coming  at  last,  although,  as 
the  men  could  tell  us  nothing,  there  remained  the  some- 
what important  question  whether  it  would  follow  that 
or  an  alternative  route. 

Also,  a  month  or  two  later,  Thorn  and  Steel  sought 
speech  with  me,  the  former  looking  almost  uncomfort- 
able when  his  companion  said :  "  I've  been  talking  with 
Haldane  about  taking  up  my  old  place,  and  don't  see  how 
to  raise  the  money,  or  feel  very  keen  over  it.  We  never 
did  much  good  there  since  my  father  went  under.  The 
fact  is,  we  two  pull  well  together,  and  you  have  the 
longest  head.  Won't  you  run  both  places  and  make  me 
a  kind  of  foreman  with  a  partner's  interest  ?  " 

326 


THE    LAST    TOAST  327 

The  suggestion  suited  me  in  many  ways,  but  bearing 
in  mind  what  might  be  possible,  I  saw  a  difficulty, 
dare  say  we  might  make  a  workable  arrangement,  and 
I  couldn't  find  a  better  partner;  but  haven't  you  Sally's 
interests  to  consider?"  I  said. 

Steel  smiled  in  an  oracular  fashion.  "  That's  Tom's 
business,"  he  said,  with  a  gesture,  which,  though  I  think 
it  was  involuntary,  suggested  that  he  felt  relieved  of  a 
load.  "  Sally  is  a  daisy,  and  I've  done  my  best  for  her; 
but  though  there's  nobody  got  more  good  points,  I  don't 
mind  allowing  she  was  a  blame  big  handful  now  and 
then.  Of  course,  we  are  all  friends  here !  " 

"  We  won't  be  if  you  start  in  apologizing  for  Sally," 
broke  in  the  stalwart  Thorn ;  and  as  I  glanced  at  his 
reddened  face,  a  light  dawned  on  me. 

"  That's  all  right !  "  said  the  smiling  brother.  "  There's 
no  use  in  wasting  words  on  him.  He  has  had  fair  warn- 
ing, and  I'm  not  to  blame." 

It  struck  me  that  the  best  thing  I  could  do  was  to 
shake  hands  with  the  wrathful  foreman,  and  I  did  it 
very  heartily. 

"  He  will  think  differently  some  day,  and  you  will 
have  a  good  wife,  Tom,"  I  said.  "  We'll  miss  you  both 
badly  at  Crane  Valley,  but  must  try  to  give  you^a  good 
start  off  when  you  take  up  your  preempted  land." 

It  must  be  recorded  that  henceforward  Sally  was  a 
model  of  virtue,  so  much  so  that  I  marveled,  while  at 
times  her  brother  appeared  to  find  it  hard  to  conceal  his 
astonishment.  She  was  more  subdued  in  manner  and 
gentle  in  speech,  while  I  could  now  understand  the 
soft  light  which  filled  her  eyes  when  they  rested  upon 
my  foreman.  The  former  spirit,  however,  still  lurked 
within  her,  for  returning  to  the  house  one  evening  when 
spring  had  come  around  again,  I  saw  Cotton,  who  had 
once  been  a  favorite  of  hers,  leap  out  of  the  door  with 
a  brush  whirling  through  the  air  close  behind  him. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  Cotton?"  [  asked 
sharply,  and  the  corporal,  who  looked  slightly  sheepish, 
glanced  over  his  shoulder  as  though  expecting  another 
missile. 


328.    THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

"The  truth  is  that  I  don't  quite  know,"  he  said. 
"  Perhaps  Miss  Steel  is  suffering  from  a  bad  toothache 
or  something  of  the  kind  to-day." 

"  That  does  not  satisfy  me,"  I  said,  as  severely  as  I 
could,  hoping  he  would  not  discover  it  was  mischief 
which  prompted  me.  "  I  presume  my  housekeeper  did 
not  eject  you  without  some  reason?  " 

"  Why  don't  you  ask  her,  then  ?  "  said  Cotton  awk- 
wardly. "  Still,  I  suppose  an  explanation  is  due  to  you 
if  you  insist  on  it.  I  went  in  to  talk  to  Sally  while  I 
waited  for  you,  and  said  something — perfectly  innocent, 

I  assure  you,  about Well — confound  it — if  I  did 

say  I'd  been  heartbroken  ever  since  I  saw  her  last,  was 
that  any  reason  why  she  should  hurl  a  brush  at  me? 
She  used  to  appreciate  that  kind  of  foolery." 

"  Circumstances  alter  cases,"  I  said  dryly.  "  Don't 
you  know  that  Sally  will  leave  here  as  Mrs.  Thorn  in  a 
few  weeks  or  so  ?  " 

"  On  my  word  of  honor,  I  didn't,"  and  Cotton  laughed 
boyishly.  "  Go  in  and  make  my  peace  with  her,  if  you 
can.  I  am  positively  frightened  to.  Say  I'm  deeply 
contrite  and — confoundedly  hungry." 

Supper  was  just  ready,  but  there  were  only  four 
plates  on  the  table,  and  when  I  ventured  to  mention  that 
Cotton  waited  repentant  and  famishing  without,  Sally 
regarded  me  stonily.  "  He  can  just  stay  there  and 
starve,"  she  said. 

Even  Thorn,  who,  I  think,  knew  Sally's  weak  points 
and  how  they  were  counterbalanced  by  the  warm-heart- 
edness which  would  have  covered  much  worse  sins, 
laughed;  but  the  lady  remained  implacable,  and,  as  a 
result  of  it,  Cotton  hungry  without,  until — when  the 
meal  was  almost  finished — Dixon,  who  was  accompanied 
by  Sergeant  Mackay,  astonished  us  by  alighting  at  the 
door.  He  brought  startling  news. 

The  first  carloads  of  rails  and  ties  for  the  new  road 
were  ready  for  dispatching,  and  it  would  pass  close  by 
my  possessions;  while,  after  we  had  recovered  from  our 
excitement,  he  said:  "I  have  been  searching  for  a 


THE   LAST    TOAST  329 

Corporal  Cotton,  and  heard  he  might  be  here.  Do  you 
know  where  he  is  ?  " 

I  looked  at  Sally,  who  answered  for  me  frigidly: 
"  You  might  find  him  trying  to  keep  warm  in  the 
stable." 

Dixon  appeared  astonished,  and  Mackay's  eyes  twin- 
kled, while  after  some  consideration  the  autocrat  at  the 
head  of  the  table  said :  "  If  it's  important  business, 
Charlie  may  tell  him  that  he  may  come  in." 

Cotton  seemed  glad  to  obey  the  summons,  and  know- 
ing that  he  had  ridden  a  long  way  since  his  last  meal, 
I  signaled  Dixon  to  wait,  when  Sally,  relenting,  set  a 
double  portion  before  him.  It  was,  therefore,  some  time 
later  when  the  lawyer,  glancing  in  his  direction,  said: 
"  You  are  Charles  Singlehurst  Cotton,  born  at  Halton 
Edge  in  the  county  of  Warwick,  England  ?  " 

The  effect  was  electrical.  Cotton  thrust  back  his 
plate  and  straightened  himself,  staring  fixedly  at  the 
speaker  with  wrath  in  his  gaze.  "  I  am  Corporal  C. 
Cotton  of  the  Northwest  Police,  and  whether  I  was  born 
in  England  or  Canada  concerns  only  myself." 

Dixon  smiled  indulgently,  and  Mackay,  looking 
towards  me,  nodded  his  head  with  a  complacent  air  of 
one  who  has  witnessed  the  fulfilment  of  his  prophecy. 

"  If  I  had  any  doubts  before,  after  inspecting  a  photo- 
graph of  you,  I  have  none  at  present,"  the  former  said. 
"  Mr.  Ormesby  forgot  to  mention  that  I  am  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  and  Messrs.  James,  Tillotson  &  James,  of 
London,  whose  name  you  doubtless  know,  requested  me 
through  a  correspondent  to  search  for  you.  Having 
business  with  Mr.  Haldane,  I  came  in  person.  Have 
you  any  objection  to  according  me  a  private  inter- 
view?" 

Cotton  looked  at  me  interrogatively,  and  I  nodded. 
"  You  can  safely  trust  even  family  secrets  to  Mr.  Dixon. 
He  is,  or  will  be,  one  of  the  foremost  lawyers  in  the 
Dominion." 

Dixon  made  me  a  little  semi-ironical  bow,  and  when 
he  and  Cotton  passed  out  together  into  my  own  partic- 


330     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ular  sanctum,  a  lean-to  shed,  Mackay  beamed  upon  me. 
"  Man,  did  I  not  tell  ye?  "  he  said. 

It  was  some  time  before  Cotton  came  back,  looking 
grave  and  yet  elated,  and  turning  towards  us,  said: 
"  Mr.  Dixon  has  brought  me  unexpected  news,  both 
good  and  bad.  It  is  necessary  that  I  should  accompany 
him  to  Winnipeg.  Sergeant,  you  have  the  power  to 
grant  me  a  week's  leave  of  absence  ?  " 

Mackay  pursed  his  lips  up,  and,  with  overdone 
gravity,  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  fearing  we  cannot  spare 
ye  with  the  new  mounts  to  train." 

Dixon  chuckled  softly.  "  I'm  afraid  Charles  Single- 
hurst  Cotton  will  break  no  more  police  horses  for  you. 
He  has  a  good  many  of  another  kind  of  his  own,"  he 
said.  "  He  has  also  influential  relatives  who  require  his 
presence  in  England  shortly,  and  have  arranged  things 
so  that  your  chief  authorities  will  probably  release  him 
before  his  term  of  service  is  completed.  The  signature 
to  this  note  should  remove  any  scruples  you  may  have 
about  granting  him  leave." 

Mackay  drew  himself  up,  and  returned  the  letter  with 
the  air  of  one  acknowledging  a  commander's  orders, 
then  let  his  hand  drop  heavily  on  Cotton's  shoulder.  His 
tone  was  slightly  sardonic,  but  there  was  a  very  kindly 
look  in  his  eyes  as  he  said :  "  Ye'll  no'  be  above  accept- 
ing the  congratulations  of  the  hard  old  sergeant  who 
licked  ye  into  shape.  It  was  no'  that  easy,  and  maybe 
it  galled  ye  some;  but  ye  have  learned  a  few  useful 
things  while  ye  rode  with  the  Northwest  troopers  ye 
never  would  have  done  in  England.  We  took  ye,  a  raw 
liddie,  some  bit  overproud  of  himself,  and  now  I'm 
thinking  we'll  miss  ye  when  we  send  ye  back  the  mak- 
ings of  a  man.  Away  ye  go  with  Mr.  Dixon  so  long 
as  it's  necessary." 

It  struck  me  as  a  graceful  thought,  for  Cotton  stood 
straight,  as  on  parade,  with  the  salute  to  a  superior,  as 
he  said :  "  I'll  report  for  duty  in  seven  days,  sir,"  then 
laid  his  brown  hand  in  Mackay's  wrinkled  palm. 
"  Every  word's  just  as  true  as  gospel,  and  I'll  thank  you 
in  years  to  come." 


THE    LAST    TOAST 

He  took  my  arm  and  drew  me  out  upon  the  starlit 
prairie.  "  I  can't  sleep  to-night,  and  my  horse  is  lame. 
You  will  lend  me  one,"  he  said.  Then  when  I  asked 
whether  he  was  not  going1  with  Dixon  to  the  station,  he 
laughed,  and  flung  back  his  head. 

"  I'm  going  to  spend  all  night  in  the  saddle.  It  will 
be  best  for  me,"  he  said.  "  I'll  tell  you  the  whole  story 
later,  and,  meantime,  may  say  that  over  the  sea,  yonder, 
somebody  is  dead.  I  know  what  Usually  sends  such  men 
as  I  out  here,  but  while  I  should  like  you  to  remember 
that  I  neither  broke  any  law  of  the  old  country  nor  in- 
jured any  woman,  I  wouldn't  see  which  side  my  bread 
was  buttered — and  there  are  various  ways  of  playing 
the  fool." 

"  We  have  Mackay's  assurance  that  the  Colonial  cure 
has  proved  a  success,  and  in  all  seriousness  you  have  my 
best  wishes  for  the  future,"  I  said. 

The  corporal  answered  gravely :  "  If  it  had  not  I 
should  never  venture  to  visit  Bonaventure  to-morrow,  as 
I  intend  doing." 

"  Visit  Bonaventure?  "  I  said,  a  little  thickly. 

"  Of  course ! "  said  Cotton,  with  both  exultation  and 
surprise  in  his  tone.  "  Can't  you  see  the  best  this  news 
may  have  made  possible  to  me  ?  " 

I  was  thankful  that  the  kindly  darkness  hid  my  face, 
and  turned  towards  the  stables  .without  a  wdtd ;  while, 
after  the  corporal  had  mounted,  I  found  it  very  hard  to 
answer  him  when  he  said  simply,  yet  with  a  great  air 
of  friendship :  "  Although  you  were  irritating  some- 
times, Ormesby,  you  were  the  first  man  I  ever  spoke 
frankly  to  in  this  country.  Won't  you  wish  me  luck  ?  " 

"  If  she  will  have  you,  there  is  no  good  thing  I  would 
not  wish  for  you  both,"  I  said ;  but  in  spite  of  my  efforts 
my  voice  rang  hollow,  and  I  was  thankful  when  Cotton, 
who  did  not  seem  to  notice  it,  rode  away. 

I  did  not  return  to  the  house  until  long  after  the 
drumming  of  hoofs,  growing  fainter  and  fainter,  had 
finally  died  away,  and  said  little  then.  I  even  flung  the 
journals  Dixon  brought,  which  were  full  of  the  new  rail- 
road, unread,  away.  My  rival  was  young  and  handsome, 


332     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

generous,  and  likable,  even  in  his  weaknesses.  He  was 
also,  as  it  now  appeared,  of  good  estate  and  birth,  and 
granting  all  that  I  could  on  my  own  side,  the  odds  seemed 
heavily  in  favor  of  Cotton,  while  a  certain  knowledge  of 
the  worst  would  almost  have  been  preferable  to  the  har- 
rowing uncertainty  as  to  how  the  Mistress  of  Bonaven- 
ture  would  make  the  comparison.  It  lasted  for  two 
whole  weeks — weeks  which  I  never  forgot;  for  I  could 
not  visit  Bonaventure.  until  I  learned  whether  Cotton's 
errand  had  resulted  successfully,  and  he  sent  no  word  to 
lessen  the  anxiety. 

At  last  I  rode  in  to  the  settlement,  whither  I  knew 
Haldane  had  gone  to  inspect  the  progress  of  the  road, 
and  met  Boone  and  Mackay  on  the  prairie.  "  Has  Cot- 
ton returned  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  He  has,"  said  Mackay  dryly.  "  This  is  his  last  day's 
duty.  He  loitered  at  the  settlement,  and  ye  will  meet 
him  presently.  I'm  not  understanding  what  is  wrong 
with  him,  but  he's  uncertain  in  the  temper,  and  I'm  think- 
ing that  sudden  good  fortune  does  not  agree  with 
him." 

I  met  Cotton,  riding  very  slowly  and  looking  straight 
ahead.  He  pulled  up  when  I  greeted  him,  and  seeing 
the  question  in  my  eyes,  ruefully  shook  his  head.  "  I've 
had  my  answer,  Ormesby — given  with  a  gentleness  that 
made  it  worse,"  he  said. 

He  must  have  misunderstood  my  expression,  and  per- 
haps my  face  was  a  study  just  then,  for  he  added  grimly: 
"  It  is  perfectly  true,  and  really  not  surprising.  Hope- 
less from  the  first — and,  I  think,  there  is  someone  else, 
though  heaven  knows  where  in  the  whole  Dominion  she 
would  find  any  man  fit  to  brush  the  dust  from  her  little 
shoes,  including  myself.  Well,  there  is  no  use  repining, 
and  I'll  have  years  in  which  to  get  over  it ;  but  it's  lucky 
I'm  leaving  this  country,  and — for  one  can't  shirk  a  pain- 
ful duty — I'll  say  good-by  to  you  with  the  others  at 
Bonaventure  to-morrow." 

I  was  glad  that  he  immediately  rode  on,  for  while  I 
pitied  him,  my  heart  leaped  within  me.  Had  it  happened 
otherwise  I  should  have  tried  to  wish  him  well,  and  now 


THE    LAST    TOAST 

my  satisfaction,  which  was,  nevertheless,  stronger  than 
all  such  considerations,  appeared  ungenerous. 

When  I  reached  it  the  usually  sleepy  settlement  pre- 
sented a  stirring  scene.  Long  strings  of  flat  cars  cum- 
bered the  trebled  sidetrack,  rows  of  huts  had  risen  as  by 
magic,  and  two  big  locomotives  moved  ceaselessly  to  and 
fro.  Dozens  of  oxen  and  horse  teams  hauled  the  great 
iron  scoops  which  tore  the  sod  up  to  form  the  roadbed, 
while  the  air  vibrated  with  the  thud  of  shovels,  the  ring- 
ing of  hammers,  and  the  clang  of  falling  rails.  The 
track  lengthened  yard  by  yard  as  I  stood  and  watched. 
In  another  week  or  two  the  swarming  toilers  would  have 
moved  their  mushroom  town  further  on  towards  Crane 
Valley,  and  I  was  almost  oppressed  by  a  sense  of  what  all 
this  tremendous  activity  promised  me.  It  meant  at  least 
prosperity  instead  of  penury,  the  realizing  of  ambitions, 
perhaps  a  road  to  actual  affluence;  also  it  might  be  far 
more  than  this.  I  scarcely  saw  Haldane  until  he  grasped 
my  hand. 

"  It  is  a  great  day,  Ormesby,"  he  said.  "  No  man  can 
tell  exactly  how  far  this  narrow  steel  road  may  carry  all 
of  you.  Still,  one  might  almost  say  that  you  have 
deserved  it — and  it  has  come  at  last." 

"  It  will  either  be  the  brightest  day  in  all  my  life — or 
the  worst,"  I  said.  "  Will  you  listen  to  me  for  two 
minutes,  sir?  " 

Haldane  did  so,  and  then  leaned  against  a  flat  car,  with 
the  wrinkles  deepening  on  his  forehead,  for  what  ap- 
peared to  be  an  inordinately  long  time.  "  I  may  tell  you 
frankly  that  I  had  not  anticipated  this — and  am  not  sure 
I  should  not  have  tried  to  prevent  it  if  I  had,"  he  said. 
"  I  know  nothing  that  does  not  testify  in  your  favor  as 
an  individual,  Ormesby;  but,  as  even  you  admit,  there 
are  objections  from  one  point  of  view.  Still,  this  road 

and  our  new  schemes  may  do  much  for  you  and 

Well,  I  never  refused  my  daughter  anything,  and  if  she 
approves  of  you,  and  you  will  not  separate  us  altogether, 
I  won't  say  no." 

I  had  expected  nothing  better,  and  dreaded  a  great 
deal  worse;  and  my  pulses" throbbed  furiously  when,  after 


THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

some  further  speech,  Haldane  strolled  away  with  a  half- 
wistful,  half-regretful  glance  at  his  daughter  who  ap- 
proached us  as  we  spoke.  She  was  in  high  spirits,  and 
greeted  me  cordially. 

"  You  ought  to  be  happy,  and  you  look  serious.  This 
is  surely  the  best  you  could  have  hoped  for,"  she  said. 

It  seemed  best  to  end  the  uncertainty  at  once,  and  yet, 
remembering  Cotton's  fate,  I  was  afraid.  Nevertheless, 
mustering  courage,  I  looked  straight  at  the  speaker,  and 
slowly  shook  my  head.  Lucille  was  always  shrewd,  and 
I  think  she  understood,  for  her  lips  quivered  a  little, 
and  the  smile  died  out  of  her  eyes. 

"You  are  difficult  to  satisfy.  Is  it  not  enough?"  she 
said. 

Her  voice  had  in  it  no  trace  of  either  encouragement 
or  disdain,  and  a  boldness  I  had  scarcely  hoped  for  came 
upon  me  as  I  answered :  "  In  itself  it  is  worth  nothing 
to  me.  What  you  said  is  true,  for  I  have  set  my  hopes 
very  high.  There  is  only  one  prize  in  the  Dominion  that 
would  satisfy  me,  and  that  is — you." 

Lucille  moved  a  little  away  from  me,  and  I  could  not 
see  her  face,  for  she  looked  back  towards  the  train  of 
cars  which  came  clanking  down  the  track;  but  for  once 
words  were  given  me,  and  when  I  ceased,  she  looked  up 
again.  Though  the  rich  damask  had  deepened  in  her 
cheek,  there  was  a  significant  question  in  her  eyes. 

"  Are  you  sure  you  are  not  mistaken,  Rancher 
Ormesby?  Men  do  not  always  know  their  own  minds," 
she  said. 

The  underlying  question  demanded  an  answer,  and  I 
do  not  know  how  I  furnished  it,  for  I  had  already  found 
it  bewildering  when  asked  by  myself;  but  with  deep 
humility  I  framed  disjoined  words,  and  gathered  hope 
once  more  when  I  read  what  might  have  been  a  faint 
trace  of  mischief,  and  something  more,  in  my  compan- 
ion's eyes. 

"  It  is  not  very  convincing — but  what  could  you  say? 
And  you  are,  after  all,  not  very  wise,"  she  said.  "  I 
wonder  if  I  might  tell  you  that  I  knew  part  of  this  long 
ago;  but  the  rest  I  did  not  know  until  the  evening  the 


THE    LAST    TOAST  335 

team  bolted  in  the  hollow.  Still,"  and  Lucille  grew 
grave  again,  "  would  it  hurt  you  very  much  if  I  said  I 
could  not  listen  because  I  feared  you  were  only  dream- 
ing this  time,  too  ?  " 

"  It  would  drive  me  out  of  Canada  a  broken-hearted 
man,"  I  said.  "  It  was  you  for  whom  I  strove,  always 
you — even  when  I  did  not  know  it — since  the  first  day  I 
saw  you.  I  would  fling  away  all  I  own  to-morrow, 
and •" 

The  words  broke  off  suddenly,  for  Lucille  looked  up 
at  me,  shyly  this  time,  and  from  under  half-lowered 
lashes.  "  I  think,"  she  said  very  slowly,  and  with  a 
pause,  during  which  I  did  not  breathe,  "  that  would  be 
a  pity,  Harry  Ormesby." 

It  was  sufficient.  All  that  the  world  could  give 
seemed  comprised  within  the  brief  sentence;  and  it  was 
difficult  to  remember  that  we  stood  clear  in  the  eyes  of 
the  swarming  toilers  upon  the  level  prairie.  Neither  do 
I  remember  what  either  of  us  next  said,  for  there  was  a 
glamour  upon  me;  but  as  we  turned  back  towards  Hal- 
dane,  side  by  side,  I  hazarded  a  query,  and  Lucille 
smiled.  "  You  ask  too  many  questions — are  you  not 
yet  content  ?  Still,  since  you  ask,  I  think  I  did  not  under- 
stand aright  either  until  a  little  while  ago." 

Haldane  appeared  satisfied,  though,  perhaps,  that^  is 
not  the  most  appropriate  word,  for  he  himself  supplied 
a  better  one;  and  when  we  were  next  alone,  and  I  ven- 
tured thanks  and  protestations,  laughed,  in  the  whim- 
sical fashion  he  sometimes  adopted,  I  think,  to  hide  his 
inward  sentiments. 

"  You  need  not  look  so  contrite,  for  I  suppose  you 
could  not  help  it ;  and  I  am  resigned,"  he  said.  "  There. 
We  will  take  all  the  rest  for  granted,  and  you  must  wait 
another  year."  Then,  although  Haldane  smiled  again, 
he  laid  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  in  a  very  kindly  fashion 
as  he  added ;  "  Lucille  might,  like  her  sister,  have  shone 
in  London  and  Paris ;  but  it  seems  she  prefers  the  prairie 
— and,  after  all,  I  do  not  know  that  she  has  not  chosen 
well." 

The   story   of   my    failures,    mistakes,    and   struggles 


336     THE    MISTRESS    OF    BONAVENTURE 

ended  then  and  there,  for  henceforward,  even  when  pass- 
ing troubles  rested  upon  us,  I  could  turn  for  counsel  and 
comfort  to  a  helpmate  whose  wisdom  and  sympathy  were 
equalled  only  by  her  courage.  Nevertheless,  two  inci- 
dents linger  in  my  memory,  and  were  connected  with  the 
last  meeting  of  what  had  now  ceased  to  be  a  prairie  tri- 
bunal at  Bonaventure.  It  was  an  occasion  of  festivity, 
but  regret  was  mingled  with  it,  for  Boone  and  Cotton 
would  leave  us  that  night,  and  there  was  not  one  of  the 
bronzed  men  gathered  in  the  great  hall  at  Bonaventure 
who  would  not  miss  them.  Boone,  it  may  be  mentioned, 
had,  after  entering  into  recognizances  to  appear  if 
wanted,  been  finally  released  from  them  by  the  police. 
At  length  Haldane  stood  up  at  the  head  of  the  long 
table. 

"  This  has  been  a  day  to  remember,  and,  I  think,  what 
we  have  decided  to-night  will  set  its  mark  upon  the 
future  of  the  prairie,"  he  said.  "  Where  all  did  well 
there  were  two  who  chiefly  helped  us  to  win  what  we 
have  done,  and  it  is  to  our  sorrow  that  one  goes  back  to 
his  own  country  now  that  his  work  is  well  accomplished. 
We  will  not  lightly  forget  him.  The  other  will,  I  hope, 
be  spared  to  stay  with  you  and  share  your  triumphs  as 
he  has  done  your  adversity.  I  have  to  announce  my 
daughter's  approaching  marriage  to  your  comrade, 
Henry  Ormesby." 

It  pleased  me  greatly  that  Cotton  was  the  first  upon 
his  feet,  and  Mackay  the  next,  although  it  was  but  for  a 
second,  because,  almost  simultaneously,  a  double  row  of 
weather-darkened  men  heaved  themselves  upright.  Cot- 
ton's face  was  flushed,  and  his  eyes  shone  strangely  under 
the  candlelight;  but  he  looked  straight  at  me  as  he 
solemnly  raised  the  glass  in  his  hand. 

"  The  Mistress  of  Bonaventure :  God  bless  her,  and 
send  every  happiness  to  both  of  them !  "  he  said. 

The  very  rafters  rang  to  the  shout  that  followed,  and 
it  was  the  last  time  that  toast  was  honored,  for  when 
next  my  neighbors  gathered  round  me  with  goodwill  and 
festivity,  Lucille  Haldane  became  mistress  of  the  new 


THE    LAST    TOAST  337 

homestead  which  had  replaced  the  sod-house  at  Crane 
Valley,  instead  of  Bonaventure. 

It  was  an  hour  later  when  she  stood  beside  me,  under 
the  moonlight,  speeding  the  last  of  the  guests.  Boone 
halted  before  us,  bareheaded,  a  moment,  with  a  curiously 
wistful  look  which  was  yet  not  envious,  and  his  hand 
on  the  bridle.  "  It  was  a  good  fight,  but  I  shall  never 
again  have  such  an  ally  as  Miss  Haldane,"  he  said. 

He  had  barely  mounted,  when  Cotton  came  up,  and 
I  felt  my  companion's  fingers  tremble  as,  I  think,  from 
a  very  kindly  impulse,  she  slipped  them  from  my  arm. 
Cotton,  however,  was  master  of  himself,  and  gravely 
shook  hands  with  both  of  us.  "  It  was  not  an  empty 
speech,  Ormesby.  I  meant  every  word  of  it.  Heaven 
send  you  both  all  happiness,"  he  said. 

He,  too,  vanished  into  the  dimness  with  a  dying  beat 
of  hoofs,  and  so  out  of  our  life;  and  we  two  were  left 
alone,  hand  in  hand,  with  only  the  future  before  us,  on 
the  moonlit  prairie. 


THE  END 


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